


To Build a Portal

by toad_in_the_road



Series: The Sundrop and the Royals of Power [2]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), Tangled (2010)
Genre: AU, Alchemy, Alternate Universe, Angst, Bad Parent Gothel (Disney), Bisexual Rapunzel (Disney), Characters Play Dungeons & Dragons, Crimson Waste, Crossover, Dungeons & Dragons References, F/F, Healing Incantation, Hurt/Comfort, LGBT, Lady Caine is badass and i have a crush on her, Lesbian Cassandra (Disney: Tangled), Lesbians, Mental Health Issues, Mommy Issues, No Straight Characters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Portals, Robots, Sundrop | Sundrop Flower (Disney), Two Dads, Varian Has Issues (Disney), but hey they all do, im gay, let me make that a tag, obviously, okay but gothel is so much fun to write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 46,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27507844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toad_in_the_road/pseuds/toad_in_the_road
Summary: After the Battle of Corona, Rapunzel continues to free Etheria from the Horde's iron grip with her new friends, all while trying to defeat her ex-best friend Cassandra.But Varian is cooking up something in his Horde lab that could change everything. And not for the better.
Relationships: Angry | Keira & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Angry | Keira & Red | Catalina (Disney), Cassandra & Gothel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Lance Strongbow, Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Pascal, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Rapunzel, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Stalyan, Gothel & Rapunzel (Disney), Lady Caine & Rapunzel, Lance Strongbow & Varian, Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Pascal & Rapunzel (Disney)
Series: The Sundrop and the Royals of Power [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938835
Comments: 12
Kudos: 10





	1. Big Brother of Corona

**Author's Note:**

> yeehaw here we are!
> 
> im am not doing well but thats okay. anyway, I combined seasons two and three into this book, because they're seven and six episodes long, you know?
> 
> anyway, i've got some fun stuff planned for you, so enjoy!

It was still unpleasantly chilly in the Whispering Woods when the robots made their attack.

Icicles hung from the tree branches, suspended in a way that looked incredibly delicate, as if by looking at them, they might snap. They dripped slowly, big fat waterdrops collecting at the tip before they fell to the damp ground with a splat. Puddles, icy and muddy, covered the ground, though they were easy to miss, as Prince Eugene of Corona found out rather quickly.

“Ack!” He jerked back, his foot suddenly soaking and cold. “Ugh, great! Wet socks!”

“Heads up!” Fidella shouted, and a shadow fell over Eugene. A robot glared at him menacingly, red eye fixed on him. 

“I got it!” Eugene assured her. In a flash of light, he teleported on top of the robot, and then in another flash, teleported the robot again high into the sky. As the robot began to fall with a squeal, Eugene safely teleported back to the ground, smiling when he heard an explosion. He smiled to himself.

“Arrow boy! Catch!” Stalyan said, and threw her hands up. A sudden wave of water pushed two robots into the air, and Pascal whirled around, easily taking the two down with two perfectly timed and shot arrows. 

“Stalyan,” He said, slightly insulted. “You know my name.”

“Ha!” The twin ice princesses slid down on a trail of ice. Keira and Catalina smiled at each other, and Fidella wrapped a vine around a robot and tossed it to them obligingly.

The girls formed huge ice fists around their hands, and pummeled the robot to pieces. Keira laughed, punching the air excitedly. “Alright, who’s next?!”

“Give me a sec,” Eugene said, wheezing slightly. “Gotta just...catch my breath.”

*** *** ***

The Sundrop wrapped her hair around a robot, throwing it against the wall. It exploded, and the heat stung her face.

“Aw, cute,” A horribly familiar voice laughed. “You can use your hair as a slingshot.”

The Sundrop whirled around, but it was too late. Cassandra was running at her, dagger drawn and eyes alive with fury. The Sundrop barely dodged the blow, stumbling badly and tripping over her hair. Cassandra laughed.

The Sundrop swung at her, but Cassandra ducked underneath her fist and grabbed her other hand. “Hey, Raps.” Cassandra snickered. The Sundrop’s mind went blank for a moment, and then abruptly restarted when Cassandra twisted her arm painfully and threw her. 

*** *** ***

A robot scuttled into view, and Eugene stretched out his arm, willing the golden staff to appear in his hand. It did, and he smiled.

“How’d you do that?!” Eugene jumped at the voice, startled to see Keira looking at him with big eyes, dragging Catalina along. 

“Can you teleport anything you want?!” Keira continued. “Like a cannon? I can make ice cannonballs!”

“What?” Eugene blinked. “No, just the staff, it was my dad’s-ugh. I was sort of in the middle of something here, do you mind?!”

He stretched out the staff at the robot, but Keira threw her arms in the air, and an ice spike pierced the robot. “It’s more effective if you hit them in their core processing unit.” Keira said, looking too pleased.

“I _know_ that!” Eugene said. “I was just about too-”

“Hey, there’s another one!” Keira grabbed Catalina’s hand, dragging her along. “Let’s go get it!”

Eugene grit his teeth, and followed the over enthusiastic princesses.

*** *** *** 

Cassandra yelped when the Sundrop pinned her, but then smiled with too much confidence. “What are you waiting for?” She chuckled.

The Sundrop scowled, and willed a ball of sunlight into her hand. She shouted, raising her hand, and driving it down to Cassandra’s face-

Only to stop seconds before she hit her. 

Cassandra smiled. She had never even flinched. “I knew you couldn’t do it.” She said, her voice oddly mechanical, and she disappeared in a haze of code.

The forest disappeared, and the Sundrop sighed, back in the glass castle’s training room after another failed exercise. Rapunzel reappeared, frustrated. “Did you have to make her so mean?”

“The simulation is designed for total accuracy,” Light Hope said. “Is the one you call Cassandra not mean?”

“No,” Rapunzel said, staring at the ground. “She...she is.”

“There, there.” Light Hope said, trying to pat Rapunzel’s head. Her hand went right through her head. It might have been supposed to be a comforting measure, but instead it felt rather hollow with Light Hope’s monotone voice.

*** *** ***

“The poor woods.” Fidella said, stretching her hand over a wilted sprout. It immediately sprung back to life, but she couldn’t do that for every plant in the woods. “They’ll never be able to regrow if the bots keep attacking.”

“Hey!” Pascal snapped as Keira suddenly attacked a downed robot that Pascal was examining. “I was looking at that!”

“You’re welcome!” Keira said, and Catalina looked sheepish.

Pascal sighed, looking at the crushed robot.

*** *** ***

“I’ve been training with you for a month and I haven’t gotten any better.” Rapunzel said.

“This latest performance was, in fact, worse,” Light Hope said, and then blinked. “Please disregard. My human inspiration protocol is still in beta stage. Should I smile more?” She smiled, and it looked horribly artificial. 

“No, no,” Rapunzel said, partially saying that just to get Light Hope to stop smiling. “It’s not you. I wanna be the best Sundrop, I want to protect the planet, but Cassandra...she’s just in my head.”

“She has access to your mainframe?” Light Hope looked troubled.

“She isn’t actually in my head,” Rapunzel said. “When you grow up with someone, they learn how to push your buttons.”

“I can relate,” Light Hope said wisely. “I also have buttons.”

Rapunzel smiled slightly. 

“You have come a long way, but there is still much to do,” Light Hope said. “You must learn to master your emotions, or you are destined to repeat the mistakes of the last Sundrop.”

“No pressure, huh?” Rapunzel sighed.

“No,” Light Hope blinked. “It is quite a bit of pressure. Was that unclear?”

“No, I got it, so much pressure, argh!” Rapunzel chuckled. 

“Very well,” Light Hope said slowly. “You must learn by doing.”

Light Hope disappeared, and the simulation restarted. Except this time, Rapunzel was facing a massive bug monster. It roared, waving its spindly legs.

Rapunzel sighed deeply, grabbing her flower.

*** *** ***

Adira swiped at the robots, pleased when both fell, sparking uselessly. She was less pleased when the training grounds rumbled, and a new robot with the simulated face of the Sundrop appeared, scowling deeply at the trainees. Kyle yelped shrilly, scrambling back already.

The robot focused on Kyle, zapping him. He fell with a shriek, but the robot continued to shoot lasers. “Okay, okay! I’m out! Stop!” Kyle said desperately.

The robot finally powered down, and Kyle climbed shakily to his feet. The training room lit up, the exercise over. Cassandra was leaning against the wall, scowling deeply. “Who can tell me where Kyle went wrong?”

“Where do you start?” Adira said, and Kyle frowned.

Cassandra sighed. “The Sundrop is too strong to defeat with force alone. But she’s slow with all that hair. And easily manipulated.” Cassandra snapped her fingers, and the room went dark again. The robot powered to life, the Sundrop outline now visible. 

Kyle dove behind Adira. “Not again!”

Cassandra appeared out of the shadows, scrambling up the robot with practiced ease. With a flick of her wrist, she drove her dagger into the center of the robot, and it sputtered, stumbling back. Cassandra stabbed it once more, leaping off before it collapsed into a mess of sparks and smoke. 

“Fix this,” Cassandra ordered, dropping metal parts onto the floor. “And then go again until you get it right.”

*** *** ***

Cassandra smiled to herself when two guards stood at attention as she walked past, and she unconsciously stood up a little straighter. 

In a strange way, she really didn’t consider the Corona invasion a loss. Sure, she missed her target, but the fact she had come so close made her a legend among the Horde, and it brought the good type of attention such status received. When she walked into a room now, the hush wasn’t from dislike, or waiting for her to leave so they could continue to talk about her. The hush was from fear and respect. And she liked that power.

She walked into the room where Varian had been kept, and paused. “Uh, what’s this?”

The room was covered in junk, ranging from bubbling liquids that stank and smoked to metal gears that cranked loudly against each other. It looked like a mad scientist’s dream come true.

And speaking of mad scientists, Varian head poked over a half finished metal arm, grinning widely. “Isn’t it wonderful?” He gushed. “The supplies from my house finally arrived!”

“Yeah, wonderful,” Cassandra said, picking her way carefully through the clutter. “Any news from the woods?”

“I just received a transmission from one of my bots!” Varian said, rushing over to a screen mounted on the wall. The screen whirred, and Cassandra frowned when she saw the plant princess summoning vines and easily tearing the robots apart.

Varian frowned. “Wow, it just fell apart with one hit there. Pretty bad infrastructure, if I do say so myself.” The screen refocused on the water princess, who frowned, and then sent a spiral of frothing water towards the screen, and it dissolved into static.

“Game over.” Lance said, and Cassandra jumped slightly. She hadn’t realized he was helping Varian. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Cassandra said. “We’ll just send more bots, and then more bots after that. They’ll be so busy protecting their precious trees that we’ll conquer the planet right under their noses.”

“Or!” Varian said, jumping to his feet. “We put my research to use.” 

He dug into his pocket, and drew out a First Ones crystal with a gleam in his eye. Cassandra smiled widely.

Sometimes it paid to have a mad scientist on your team.

*** *** ***

“You should have seen it!” Eugene said, walking in step with Pascal and Rapunzel down the halls of Corona that evening. “With the Moonstone super-charged, I’ve been so much more powerful! I took out, like, at least five bots.”

“Just like the day before,” Pascal said. “And the day before that.”

Eugene sighed. “What are we supposed to do? Just let the bots tear the forest apart? The Horde is going to keep taking ground until it regrows.”

“I know, but how long can we keep this up?” Pascal glanced at Rapunzel. “Did you learn anything from Light Hope?”

“Uh,” Rapunzel shuffled. “I fought a bug monster today?”

“We saw a bug monster today!” Keira said, and Eugene jumped, not having realized the twins were there. “Right, Eugene? Did you see me chase it off?” 

Catalina looked unhappy to be there, but didn’t say anything. “Where did you come from?!” Eugene asked.

Keira blinked. “I’ve been here the whole time.”

Eugene frowned. “Well, we have to go. We have an important meeting-”

“The war council?” Keira interrupted. “We’re heading there too! Better hurry, you’ll be late.” She grabbed Catalina’s arm, running down the hall.

Eugene pursed his lips, scowling deeply. “Do we have a new addition to the Best Friends Squad?” Pascal asked slowly. 

“No.” Eugene snapped immediately, going down the hall with tense steps.

*** *** ***

“Sorry,” Fidella said to Stalyan, smiling widely. “I think that’s my chair.”

Stalyan glanced up from her seat to regard Fidella lazily. “Yeah, don’t you find it helpful to shift perspectives sometimes?”

Fidella’s smile grew noticeably tight, but she took a seat beside Stalyan, no doubt repeating mantras of peace in her mind. 

“Aunt Willow!” Eugene walked in, smiling widely when he saw his aunt seated at the council table. “You made it!”

“I wouldn’t miss it, dearest,” Willow said brightly. “The first war room of the new alliance, how exciting!”

“Yes,” Angella said lightly. “It’s a shame you couldn’t be there in the battle when the alliance was formed.”

Willow scowled. “I knew you were going to say that-”

“We have a great deal to discuss,” Angella said, heedless of her sister-in-law. “Everyone, please take your seats, thank you…”

Eugene frowned when Keira plopped next to him, and Catalina didn’t look much happier. “Maximus,” Angella turned to the horse. “What news do you bring from scouting the west?”

“The Horde has gained more territory,” Maximus said grimly, and Spinnerella hit a button that lit up the hologram of the discussed land. “But with the help of Netossa and Spinnerella, our forces have managed to recapture Pincosta! Again.”

Spinnerella and Netossa fist bumped. “Also,” Maximus added. “Why don’t I get a chair? Everyone else gets a chair.”

“A chair,” Angella said, looking vaguely unsure. “Of course, I’ll see to it...Commander Eugene, how goes the situation in the Whispering Woods?”

Eugene smiled. “I’m happy to report that we are handling the bots, and protecting the woods while it regrows. Which it is doing. Just very slowly.”

“Maybe it’s time we stop fighting and start healing!” Fidella volunteered. “My powers aren’t strong enough to regrow the woods on my own, but when we royals worked together in harmony during the battle in Corona, our powers grew! We should try to recapture that energy!”

“Of course the hippie princess wants to stop fighting.” Stalyan muttered, and thankfully Fidella didn’t seem to hear her.

“If I may, Your Majesty,” Pascal stood up. “We can’t go on like this. We’re defeating the bots, but more keep coming. While we’re using our resources to hold the borders, the Horde hasn’t had to deploy a single soldier.”

“Typical Cassandra.” Rapunzel muttered.

“I’ve only been able to collect pieces of the bots,” Pascal said, and then eyed the group. “Seeing as we have never left a robot un-demolished, but if we could capture a bot, I might be able to program a kill switch. We could wipe them all out without draining our forces!”

“An excellent idea, Pascal,” Angella smiled. “This could turn the tide for all of us.” She turned to her son. “Eugene, you will take your patrol out, and capture a bot for Pascal to study and carry out his plan.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Eugene stood, gasping when he nearly ran into Keira. How did she move so fast?

“Commander,” She said seriously. “I have ideas to improve. First, we should use code names. We’ll be Frostbite and Avalanche, and you can be Sparklebomb. Second-”

“Uh, Keira,” Eugene said, deciding not to go on a tirade for her awful code name. “I need you and Catalina to stay back and...help Spinnerella and Netossa guard the castle!”

Keira scowled, but Eugene didn’t wait to hear her argue. “Thanks!” He said, and then disappeared in a flash of light. 

*** *** ***

“With the woods frozen and the royals distracted by bots, we’ve been able to gain significant ground-Lance, your thumb is blocking the corner.” Cassandra said, pausing in her report to Hector.

“Whoops,” Lance shifted his grip. “Sorry.”

Hector looked pleased, though it was always hard to be sure. “You have not disappointed me, Force Captain. Clearly, I was wise to promote you.”

Cassandra smiled, and then paused when she heard shuffling, and scowled she saw Varian picking through Hector’s supplies, an excited look on his face. “Uh…” She said, wondering how he managed to wander off again without notice. “Yes. We’ve kept the royals distracted, but we could be doing more. We should be working to take them out, once and for all. Isn’t that right, Varian?” 

The kid took no notice, and Cassandra’s scowl deepened. “Varian!” She snapped.

“What?!” He looked startled, and then sheepish. “Oh, right!” He clapped twice. 

A robot, saucer shaped and larger, came up the steps of Hector’s throne, pointed legs making a soft metallic thud every time it took a step. “Allow me to present,” Varian said grandly. “Emily’s Kid Sister! EKS, for short. With First Ones tech at the core, this little beauty has enough power to rival any royal!” Varian withdrew an electric baton and shot a hole through the robot’s leg. The hole buzzed oddly, and then fixed itself, metal growing over the hole. 

Hector tilted his head. “Impressive indeed...and you can make more of these?”

“Yes!” Varian paused. “I mean, no. I could, but I only had enough First Ones tech to make four.”

“But I know where we can get more.” Cassandra said. 

*** *** ***

“Okay,” Eugene paced in front of his team. “We’ll cover more ground if we split up. Rapunzel, Pascal and I will go east, Stalyan and Fidella will go west. Maximus, cover the sky, and tell us if there’s a bot nearby.”

“And remember,” Pascal added. “We want an intact bot.”

“What if it’s just like, a little waterlogged? Only a bit.” Stalyan said. 

“And also covered in ferns that secrete a corrosive poison?” Fidella asked. 

“Or what if it’s totally smashed by my ice hammer?!” Keira said excitedly, eyes filled with bloodlust. Or maybe it would be called metallust. 

“Keira!” Eugene snapped.

“And Catalina!” Keira said, unhelpfully, grabbing her unhappy looking sister. 

“You’re supposed to be defending the castle with Netossa and Spinnerella!” Eugene said.

“I know I ignored orders,” Keira said. “But no offense, those orders are stupid. You need me here!”

“You can’t just run off wherever you want!” Eugene snapped, not noticing Rapunzel and Pascal share a weighty look.

“But I did!” Keira grinned. “And I’m not going back.”

Eugene gritted his teeth. “Fine. You can be in Stalyan and Fidella’s group. Catalina, you come with us.”

“I’m going with you!” Keira said.

“Don’t push your luck.” Eugene growled. 

*** *** ***

“Um, guys?” Pascal said, peeking over the edge of a log.

A bot was stepping through the forest with purpose, bigger than the other. It paused, swiveling its head around, some kind of purple scanner coming from its eye. When it didn’t seem to find anything of interest, it took a few more steps, and scanned again.

“That thing is way more advanced than usual.” Pascal said. 

“Where’s it going?” Eugene asked, mostly to himself. “And why isn’t it attacking the woods?”

Rapunzel jumped down onto the bot, driving her bow staff into the center. The robot shuddered, and then powered down. Pascal winced. 

Rapunzel tapped the robot and smiled to herself, glancing back at the others. “It’s still just a Horde bot,” She said. “We know how to handle-AH!” The robot suddenly lurched, throwing her off.

Eugene, Pascal, and Catalina rushed to her side just as the robot loomed over them, blotting out the sun. “Okay,” Rapunzel coughed. “That’s new.”

Eugene blinked away and reappeared in the air above the robot, his staff in hand. He swiped at the robot, but the staff was caught mid-swing by metal pincers, and the robot regarded the dangling prince with curiosity. 

“Put me down!” Eugene snapped, and the robot complied, tossing him into the forest. 

“It’s learning!” Pascal said shrilly.

“Yeah, well I’m about to teach it something!” Rapunzel rose to her feet, holding her flower. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

The Sundrop appeared in a blaze of light, and the robot sprung into action, shooting lasers at the target. The Sundrop used her hair to deflect them with ease, and wrapped a thick strand around the robot’s legs, yanking them out from under it. She leapt on top of the robot, preparing to blast it, but it jerked forward, throwing her off. It advanced suddenly, and the Sundrop scurried back, shocked by the robot’s boldness. 

The robot reached out, grabbing the Sundrop’s hair, and the Sundrop stopped with a yelp. The robot’s head spun, and a blaring alarm sounded. The group winced at the noise, and birds fled the trees. The Sundrop yanked her hair back, and the robot stumbled. She swung out another strand of hair before it could recover, and yanked its head off.

“Oh…!” Pascal groaned.

The Sundrop frowned, suddenly realizing her mistake. “We’ll just...capture another bot! No big deal.”

The group suddenly looked stricken, and the Sundrop sighed. “Okay, I’m sorry I destroyed it, but that one had it coming.”

“Rapunzel.” Eugene squeaked, pointing behind her. 

The Sundrop turned, and gasped. The robot was rising once again, a new head turning where she had ripped the old one off. She stumbled back. “What, how…?!”

“Oh, that’s unnatural,” Maximus decided. “Even for a robot.”

The alarm continued, and out of the brush came three more robots, forming a circle around the group. They took a step forward in unison, and Eugene frowned. “Pascal, you take the ones with the regeneration, we’ll take the rest.”

Another robot took a step, and then out of nowhere, Keira dropped onto it, pummeling it with her ice fists with a big grin on her face. “Keira!” Eugene snapped, stepping towards her. “Do you even listen when people tell you things?!”

“What?” Keira called, not ceasing in her punching. 

“Get away from that bot!” Eugene ordered. 

“It’s the bot you should be worried about!” Keira shouted. Unconcerned, the robot plucked her off and tossed her. Keira shrieked, and Catalina looked horrified. 

“Gah!” Eugene said, teleporting. He grabbed her right before she splattered on the ground, and then teleported away, unsure where he was going.

The robots paused, their scanners surveying the area. Catalina hid behind Pascal, looking scared. After a moment, an alarm went off, and as a unit, the robots marched away. 

Pascal and the Sundrop looked at each other, unsure what to make of the situation, but missing two royals.

*** *** ***

Eugene shrieked when the ground reappeared, and he fell roughly on the semi-frozen soil. At least they were no longer high enough to do any lasting damage. On the other hand, he was with Keira, which was almost worse.

“There you are!” He looked up and saw Fidella, looking at him with concern. “Stalyan and I have been looking everywhere for you!”

“Yeah, everywhere.” Stalyan said, looking thoroughly uninterested.

Eugene glared at Keira. “That was incredibly stupid! You could have gotten killed, or gotten one of us killed!”

“I was just trying to help.” Keira said defensively. 

“This is serious, it’s not a game!” Eugene barked. “You need to stop getting in our way!”

Keira blinked at that, looking shocked. Eugene paused, suddenly realizing he had crossed a line. “I-”

It was too late. Keira scowled furiously at him, and rushed off into the forest before he could stop her. “Keira, no-”

“Ouch.” Stalyan said.

Eugene whirled to her to ask her kindly to shut up, but Pascal popped out of the bushes, looking shaken. “The Horde’s new bots are too fast and too smart!” He looked frustrated, Maximus, the Sundrop, and Catalina right behind him. “We’ll never be able to catch one! I thought I could help, be the Rebellion’s tech master, but obviously it was a stupid idea.”

“It wasn’t,” The Sundrop said after a moment. “You’re the only one who came up with a real plan. Without it, we’d still just be reacting to the bots. We need to stop letting the Horde manipulate us. So let’s put our heads together and think!”

Pascal smiled, and then looked thoughtful. “Those bots aren’t attacking the woods. They only defended themselves to get away.”

“Well, that means attacking us wasn’t their mission.” Stalyan said. 

“And they all ran off in the same direction!” Maximus added.

“So whatever they’re after is that way!” Fidella said.

The Sundrop frowned. “The only thing in that direction is...the glass castle!” She smiled. “I know where the bots are going, and I know how to stop them!”

“Where’s Keira?” Catalina asked in a small, worried voice. 

Fidella and Stalyan glanced at Eugene, and he felt his face turn hot. “I’ll go find her.”

*** *** *** 

“How did you find me?!” Keira demanded, perched high on a rock.

“I followed the ice trail. Wasn’t hard.” Eugene shrugged.

“Come to yell at me some more?!” She snapped. “I just wanted to be your friend.”

“By ignoring us and throwing yourself into danger?” Eugene asked.

“Sorry I don’t know how to act!” Keira said, her voice slightly wobbly. “I’ve never had any friends before!” She blinked at her own admission, and turned away quickly.

Eugene frowned, teleporting next to her. Keira sniffled messily, scowling at the ground. “Catalina and I were eight when we took the throne,” She said quietly. “It’s kinda hard to make new friends when everyone is your sworn subject. We had each other, but...you know, it’s still lonely.”

Eugene took a deep breath. “I...know how you feel. I didn’t have any friends before Pascal and Rapunzel.”

“You?” Keira glanced up. “I figured everyone would want to be your friend.”

“Well, you’d be the first to think that,” Eugene smiled. “Despite my charm and good looks, I’m still learning how to be a good friend too. I’m sorry I yelled, I just…” He sighed. “I guess you remind me of...me? And I can do some really dangerous stuff sometimes.”

“I remind you of you?” Keira asked, eyes shining.

Eugene made a face. “Ugh, and I sounded like my mom when I yelled at you, yikes. Please don’t ever make me do that again.”

Keira smiled. “Deal.” She stuck her hand out and paused. “Does that...mean we’re friends?”

“Absolutely. And we-” Eugene shook his head. “I could really use your help right now.”

“You want me to come back?!” Keira leapt to her feet. “I knew we’d make a great team! So should I do ice hammers, or ice daggers? You’re right, one of each!”

*** *** *** 

Cassandra smiled, watching the robots march on the glass castle through the screen. Varian and Lance shared popcorn. “That place has enough First Ones tech inside to power a whole armada of robots forever!” She said, and Varian practically vibrated with excitement. 

Something crackled along the ground of the glass castle, and the robots slipped on ice. The video suddenly jerked, pointing at the sky as the robot they were watching through slipped. 

“No…” Cassandra growled.

*** *** ***

“‘Ice’ of you to drop in!” Keira declared.

“How long have you been waiting to use that one?” Eugene asked, and then grabbed Keira when a robot shot a laser, barely teleporting out of the way. 

The robot found its footing, and then immediately lost it when the Sundrop attacked. “Switch things up! Keep them guessing!” 

“We just need to capture one!” Pascal said, perched in a tree. “Take out the others!”

He released three arrows, and the robot that managed to dodge immediately got a face full of vines, followed closely behind by a stream of water that overloaded it. 

“Not bad, hippie princess,” Stalyan said, whirling around when a new robot appeared behind her. “Uh…”

Team Awesome cheered for her demise on the other side of a screen, but Eugene and Keira appeared out of nowhere, knocking the robot over so Fidella could wrap it in vines once again. Eugene summoned his staff, piercing the center of the robot, and it went still. 

The Sundrop charged a robot, slinging her hair around the leg. The robot stepped towards her, anticipating her to attempt to rip the leg off, but instead she slid under the robot, trussing it up easily. The robot tottered, and fell ungracefully with a klud. 

She leaped onto the head, and paused when she realized the robot was recording. “Hey, Cass.” She said, and punched the head as hard as she could. The robot sputtered, and so did Cassandra on the other side of the screen. 

Cassandra quickly recovered herself. She stood up, flipping a button. Varian frowned. “Do you have to?”

“Whatever,” She said shortly. “We’ll find more tech.”

“Pascal!” The Sundrop shouted. “Look! I got one!”

The robot head suddenly beeped, and Pascal’s eyes widened. “Rapunzel, get away from it-!”

The robot exploded, and the Sundrop was flung back with a scream. She landed right next to Pascal, luckily more startled than hurt. “W-what was that?!”

“It looks like the bots can self-destruct.” Pascal said. He glanced up, seeing Eugene and Keira blinking around the last robot. The robot suddenly froze, beeping loudly.

“We can’t let that one self-destruct!” Pascal shouted. 

“Everyone, together!” The Sundrop shouted, charging the robot. She punched it, and it flew into the glass castle, clanging. Pascal groaned, and the Sundrop winced. “Sorry.”

“Ready, Ice Kids?” Stalyan asked, glancing at the twins. Catalina and Keira grinned at each other, and Stalyan sent a flood of water towards the robot. The sisters worked together, freezing the water so the robot was held in place. 

Fidella lifted Pascal to the robot with a thick vine, and he opened the robot up, digging around frantically for the source of the beeping. After a moment, he smiled, and yanked out a red chip. The robot went still, and he whooped in victory. Fidella laughed, throwing her arms around Stalyan.

“Hey, woah, personal space.” Stalyan said immediately, but she was smiling.

*** *** ***

The door to Gothel’s cell opened, and the witch looked up, scowling when she saw Cassandra.

“You look terrible.” Cassandra said, and she meant it. Gothel had not used her magic since her treasonous rage, and she was aging far more slowly as a result. But it was there all the same. Her hair was gray, and her face was lined. Soon her fingernails would crack, and her hands would curve into arthritic hooks. 

“Cassandra,” Gothel said, her voice still strong despite her body. “It’s been so long, I assumed Hector finally realized what a lazy, worthless creature you are and banished you.”

“Just the opposite,” Cassandra smiled widely. “Hector values me. I’ve been busy helping the Horde get closer than ever before to defeating the Rebellion. His words. Not mine.”

“If you’re doing so well, then why are you here?” Gothel asked. 

Cassandra’s smile disappeared, and Gothel gained one. Her gums were swollen, but her teeth were still all healthy. For now. “It’s Rapunzel, isn’t it?” Gothel chuckled. 

“So?!” Cassandra snapped. “I let her win this one! We’re gaining ground, and our armies are growing! When they’re ready to roll out, I will be at the head, not your precious Rapunzel! And you’ll be here rotting!”

“If you want praise,” Gothel said, tracing something invisible in the ground of her cell. “You are looking for it in the wrong place. You seem to forget, even now you’re only riding on Rapunzel’s coattails.”

Cassandra stiffened. “Oh yeah? And how’s that, old lady?”

“The only reason you are a Force Captain is because she is not here,” Gothel said. “The only reason you are now at Hector’s side is because Rapunzel left. Even now, with her stolen opportunities, you are second best. And believe me, it is a far off second.”

Cassandra twitched, feeling nauseous. Gothel’s smile grew. “Have you anything else to say? Or can you leave me in peace?”

“I took your place,” Cassandra snapped. “So doesn’t that mean you’re second best to me?”

Gothel did not reply, still tracing the floor. Cassandra scowled. “You’ll rot away in here, and pretty soon, we’ll have to send Kyle to dust you away. What do you think of that, huh?”

Gothel did not reply once again, and Cassandra felt herself relax a bit. “Thanks,” She said, turning to go. “I needed that.”

Though Gothel’s words still rang in her mind.

*** *** ***

“So, we’re okay now that the woods are growing back, right?” Catalina asked.

Rapunzel frowned. “Light Hope says there’s still a lot to fix. But at least it won’t be as easy for the Horde to attack us.”

“Thanks again for saving me,” Keira glanced at Eugene. “You know, after that bot threw me off a cliff.”

“Friends stick together,” Eugene winked. “No royal left behind, right?”

*** *** ***

“Uh, okay!” Pascal said, standing on the defunct robot. “I’m talking into a tape recorder, because that’s...that’s what the best scientist I ever knew did. I dunno who I’m talking to. Me, I guess? So...hi, Future Pascal! We’re gonna crack this baby open! And by baby, I mean the bot-stupid, of course he knows that...anyway!”

Pascal carefully popped the visor off the robot eye, pausing when he saw a familiar crystal. “First Ones tech?” He muttered, taking it out. He turned it over in his hand, and the crystal gave off a prismatic shine. “But the only one who knew how to use it was…”

Pascal nearly fell off the robot, clutching the tape recording. 

“Future Pascal,” He gasped. “You’re not gonna believe this.”


	2. Eugene and Pascal's Big Day Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PFFFT NOT ME ALMOST TOTALLY FORGETTING ABOUT THIS CHAPTER

Cassandra smiled as the Horde’s forces gathered around Varian’s old home. She held up her communication pad, pleased. “The city’s forces have fled. Old Corona is our’s.”

“Alright!” Lance said happily on the other side of the pad. “I mean, I guess it kind of already was our’s. Varian was kinda the only thing keeping us at bay, so...but the banner makes it feel official!”

“Where are you?” Cassandra said.

“That’s a great question,” Lance said. “And the answer is, I do not know. This mansion is a maze.”

Cassandra groaned, and tapped her Force Captain badge. It lit up, a beacon for Lance to follow. “There, that’s me. Follow it out when you’re done. And hurry up, we have work to do.”

She turned to finish up the takeover, and didn’t see two civilians flee, sole witnesses of her war.

*** *** ***

“Varian’s alive?!” Eugene nearly shrieked. “How do you know?!”

“I couldn’t figure out how the Horde was making such big technological advancements,” Pascal said, looking distressed. “But it all makes sense now! They must be holding him prisoner! I found First Ones tech in this bot. That’s what Varian was experimenting with before…” He trailed off.

“Before we left him in the Fright Zone,” Eugene said, horrified. “Oh, no…” He slowly sat down, head in his hands.

Pascal went beside him. “We didn’t know.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Eugene said. “We should’ve gone back for him. We should have tried. He got captured trying to save us.”

Eugene’s face hardened, and he stood up. “Well, we aren’t going to leave him there. We’ve got to rescue him.”

“How?” Pascal asked. “We can’t just waltz into the Fright Zone. That’s how we got into this mess in the first place.”

“Maybe we don’t have to,” Eugene said, and he tapped the war room table to turn on the hologram. “Look.”

There was the Horde insignia floating above a fairly rural area, and Pascal gasped. “They took Old Corona!”

Eugene nodded. “We just got word. The Horde has Varian, and now they have Old Corona. The timing can’t be coincidence.”

“Of course,” Pascal said. “They’re making him use his own lab!”

“We’re going to Old Corona,” Eugene said, a determined gleam in his eye. “We’ll find Varian and bring him back. No one left behind.”

“Yes!” Pascal cheered, following Eugene out. “Rescue mission time! I’ll get Rapunzel-”

“Rapunzel is out training with Light Hope.” Eugene said.

Pascal paused. “What about the other royals?”

Eugene bit his lip. “Varian got taken trying to save us, Pascal. I’m not going to be responsible for losing anyone else.”

*** *** ***

Pascal peeked around the edge of a crate, waiting for the Horde soldiers to pass before he dashed across the opening, glancing at Eugene when he appeared beside him.

“Any sign of Varian in the mansion?” Pascal asked.

Eugene shook his head. “And as usual, the place was impossible to navigate.” He huffed, glancing up. His eyes widened, and he yanked Pascal behind another crate just as Cassandra walked into view, yawning widely. 

Her pad beeped, and she grabbed it, turning away and tapping it to receive the call. “Hello?!” A nervous voice asked, and Pascal recognized it as Kyle. “Please tell me you’re on your way back! Varian’s new invention has lost it!”

Pascal winced when he heard shouting from the pad, and the two glanced at each other before giving a steely nod. They crept towards Cassandra, nervous and jumpy. “Pull it together, Kyle!” Cassandra snapped. “You’re fine.”

“Stop stop stop!” Varian’s panicked voice shouted, and Pascal winced again, his heart sinking for the poor kid. 

“They’re hurting him!” Eugene whispered, eyes wide. He blinked away, and Pascal barely had time to utter an ‘oh no’ before he sprang on Cassandra.

Cassandra yelped, dropping her pad. “Where is he?!” Eugene demanded, a ball of light appearing in his hand. 

Cassandra recovered quickly, kicking Eugene back and charging. Eugene sent a blinding flash of light her way, and she stumbled back with a shriek just as Lance appeared, looking shocked before he charged Eugene as well. 

Eugene blinked in and out between Lance’s swings, dodging and adding a few hits of his own. Cassandra stood up, starting to run, but froze when an arrow nearly gave her a surprise nose piercing. She changed her direction to Pascal, dodging his arrows and pouncing on him. Pascal threw dust in her eyes, and she stumbled back with a furious shout. 

Eugene got too confident, and Lance grabbed him out of the air. Pascal quickly shot an arrow that exploded and encased Lance’s hand in a sticky slime. Lance dropped Eugene, and Pascal rushed to his friend.

“We gotta get out of here, now!” Pascal said, grabbing his arm. 

“Get them!” Cassandra ordered Lance, and scowled when Lance was stuck with his arm. She practically growled, taking off after the rebels. Eugene grabbed Pascal, and the two teleported into the mansion.

“Where are we?” Pascal asked.

“Uh, hang on-” Eugene teleported them to a slightly larger hallway, and frowned. “No-”

He blinked into a hallway that was far too small, nearly crushing the two in awkward positions, and he huffed, teleporting one last time to a hall that was normal. 

Pascal frowned. “Isn’t this where we started?”

Eugene groaned. “Why’d he make his house a maze?!”

“I see the rebels sent their finest.” Eugene barely had time to turn and dodge Cassandra’s dagger, and Pascal loaded an arrow. But Eugene and Cassandra were too close and moving too fast for a clean shot.

Cassandra grabbed Eugene’s arm, raising her dagger, but he flicked blinding light into her eyes, and she stumbled back. “Pascal!” Eugene sprinted to him, and Cassandra followed, the tips of her fingers just brushing his shirt-

They were in the sky, falling from Eugene’s desperate teleport out of the mansion. “Eugene!” Pascal shouted, and there was a shriek above them.

Cassandra was hanging onto Eugene’s shirt, looking horrified. “What did you do to me?!”

“Get off!” Eugene kicked her, and she flew off, careening back. They landed in thick grass, and Eugene wheezed, sure he would have bruises for this later.

Cassandra sprang to her feet a few yards away, and raced towards them, her dagger clutched tightly in her hand. Pascal shot an arrow at her, and the tip opened up to wrap her in a tight net. She fell with little grace, thrashing and screaming curses at them. 

“Well,” Eugene said, panting and watching Cassandra tangle herself further. “Guess we take prisoners now.”

*** *** ***

“Maybe we should just let her go,” Pascal said after Cassandra had calmed down slightly and was busy glaring at them. “We’re supposed to be the good guys, after all.”

“Let her go?!” Eugene hissed. “Did she let us go?! No! She let the Horde torture us!”

“Yeah, because she’s a bad guy! We’re better than that!” Pascal said.

“We didn’t mean for this to happen, but it did,” Eugene said. “And now we need to use it to our advantage!”

Eugene approached Cassandra, who glanced up at him with a bored and hateful expression. “We’re taking you to Corona,” Eugene said. “If your people want you back, you have to give us Varian.”

“Varian?” Cassandra grinned, mean and spiteful. “Who’s that?”

“We know you have him!” Eugene snapped. “Where is he?! What are you doing to him?!”

“Eugene…” Pascal said.

“Oh…” Cassandra chuckled. “You mean the kid you left behind to die? Don’t worry, we’re taking good care of him.” She laughed.

Eugene really wanted to punch her in the face. “On your feet, Horde scum.” He said in a low voice. 

Cassandra went limp. “Whoops! Guess I can’t walk. Unless you want to untie me…”

“Nice try,” Eugene rolled his eyes. “I’ll just teleport us there.”

“Uh, Eugene, can I talk to you real quick?” Pascal said. He grabbed Eugene, dragging him to what he assumed was out of earshot. “Corona is really far away. Shouldn’t you wait until we get closer to teleport us? You don’t want to run out of power and get stranded. Especially with...her.”

Eugene huffed. “Fine.”

*** *** ***

Cassandra was surprisingly mellow until they reached the cliffs, at which point she tripped (rather dramatically, in Eugene’s opinion).

“Hey!” Pascal knelt by her. “You okay?”

Cassandra scoffed. “Like you care.”

“We do, actually,” Pascal said, looking slightly hurt. “The Rebellion treats its prisoners with compassion.”

Cassandra chuckled, standing back up. “You royals always have to be the bleeding hearts types. Everything is about the power of friendship. How’s that working out for you?”

“Even the Horde has friends,” Pascal said. “What about Rapunzel?”

Cassandra scoffed loudly. 

“You two grew up together, right?” Pascal asked. “What was she like as a kid?”

“Shut up.” Cassandra snapped.

Pascal did not. “Eugene and I have known each other forever too. He’d teleport to the roof to get my lost arrows when I was learning how to shoot.”

“Wow,” Cassandra said. “You two must be really close. Sounds like Eugene would do anything for you, huh?”

“Absolutely-why did you say it like that?” Pascal asked.

Cassandra lunged at him, throwing both herself and Pascal off the cliff. Pascal shrieked, and Eugene teleported next to the falling duo, looking angry.

“Oh, hey, Your Majesty!” Cassandra smiled. 

“Why are you such a nightmare?!” Eugene demanded.

“Years of practice!” Cassandra laughed. 

“Can you please discuss this when we aren’t hurtling towards the ground?!” Pascal asked shrilly. 

“You know what, I wanna see if the dragon lady sprouts wings and flies away!” Eugene said, crossing his arms. 

“I’m falling too!” Pascal said, and Cassandra managed to grab his arm so Eugene couldn’t teleport away without her. 

Eugene glared, looking like he was seriously considering dying to make a point. “EUGENE!” Pascal shouted, and Eugene sighed, grabbing Pascal and teleporting away and above a river. 

He surfaced, grinning when he saw Cassandra flailing wildly. “Not a fan of water, huh-oof!” He yelped when Cassandra grabbed him, dragging him under with her thrashing. “Get off of me!” He managed to gasp. 

“Eugene!” Pascal shouted, holding onto a log. Eugene groaned, teleporting to the log and grabbing it before Cassandra could drag him under again.

“Ready to be rescued from this whenever you are!” Pascal said.

“Yeah, just-” Eugene coughed, and took a deep breath. “Give me a minute to rest.”

Pascal glanced behind him, and stiffened. “How’s ten seconds?” He asked, eyes on a massive waterfall that they were rapidly approaching. 

“Seriously?” Cassandra laughed. “You guys suck at this.”

Eugene groaned loudly, grabbing Pascal and Cassandra and teleporting to the riverbank at the base of the waterfall. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to dispel his dizziness.

“At least we’re all in one piece,” Cassandra said. “Can’t say the same for Varian.”

Eugene raised his fist, summoning a ball of light to knock Cassandra into next week with. Instead, he tilted, nausea bubbling up inside of him dangerously. “Are you alright?!” Pascal asked immediately. 

“Aw, what’s wrong?” Cassandra cooed. “Sick after all that magic?”

“I’m fine,” Eugene said, managing to stand. “You’re not worth my time. Come on, it’s a long walk to Corona.”

He grabbed her, starting to drag her forward, and paused when he felt something warm and wet on his arm. Cassandra was _licking_ his hand. 

He screamed, throwing her backwards, and Cassandra laughed. “Put more ropes on her!” Eugene snapped, though his voice was shrill and angry. He felt sick again.

He was too distracted to notice Cassandra tap her Force Captain badge.

*** *** ***

“I don’t know about you guys,” Cassandra said as Eugene dragged her limp body across the forest. “But I am beat. Getting held hostage is so much work. Almost as exhausting as torturing Varian everyday.”

“Pascal,” Eugene said between grunts of exertion. “Do we have something to keep her mouth shut? I’m open from anything from tape to sewing her lips shut.”

“Oh, so violent!” Cassandra laughed. “Though that does give me an idea for Varian!”

“Just ignore her.” Pascal said. 

Cassandra jerked up, swinging herself up onto her feet. Eugene let go of the rope in surprise, and she fell onto Pascal. “You’re looking pretty tired too, buddy,” Cassandra said, smiling at Eugene. “Running out of glitter?”

“Don’t you have anything to keep her quiet?!” Eugene demanded.

“It tried, but she bites!” Pascal whimpered, and Cassandra winked.

“How did Rapunzel take years of this?!” Eugene huffed, glaring at Cassandra. “She didn’t run away from the Horde, she ran away from you!”

Cassandra paused, the smug look on her face gone for a moment. “And where’s she now, huh? Off being the Sundrop? Get used to it! You think she’s not gonna leave you behind too, Sparkles?”

Eugene stepped forward, ready to just start throttling her-

“Don’t move!” Eugene froze when Lance suddenly stepped out of the forest, followed by Adira and Rogelio. Eugene scowled, standing in front of Cassandra to block her, and Pascal drew an arrow.

No one moved.

“Cassandra!” Lance said after a moment, looking distressed. “Are you okay?!”

“She’s fine!” Eugene said. “We want to make a trade. We’ll release Cassandra if you release Varian.”

“I have a better trade off,” Cassandra said. “You release me right now or we’ll finish off Varian. Once and for all.”

“She’s bluffing.” Eugene said. 

Cassandra smiled. “Lance, get Kyle on the comm.”

Lance complied, and Eugene winced to hear Varian shrieking unintelligibly among the crash and bang of metal. “Force Captain, I knew you’d call me back! What do I do?!” Kyle asked.

“If you don’t hear from us in thirty seconds, take Varian out.” Cassandra said.

“What-” Kyle started, but Eugene had heard enough. He grabbed Cassandra and slammed her against a tree.

“Two can play at that game.” He snarled.

“Cassandra!” Lance said, and scowled. “If you touch her again-”

“Easy there, big guy,” Cassandra said easily. “He’s not gonna try anything. They’re noble rebels, after all. They play by the rules.”

“Yeah, well, I’m no good with rules.” Eugene said sharply. He summoned a ball of light, his fury overtaking his exhaustion.

“Eugene, stop!” Pascal called back.

Eugene’s face screwed up in an explosive mixture of grief and fury. “This isn’t fair! After everything she’s done to us?! We’re just supposed to let her go?!”

Cassandra smiled.

“How do we know they’d get rid of Varian?” Eugene said. “They really need him!”

“We can’t take that chance!” Pascal said. “We’re not them.”

Eugene gritted his teeth, staring Cassandra down. Cassandra never lost her smug look, betting it all on Eugene’s mercy. He wanted nothing more than to wipe her grin off her face for good, prove how wrong she was and that she shouldn’t have underestimated him.

Instead, he let the light die away, and pushed Cassandra to Lance.

“Oh, come here!” Lance looked relieved. “I’m so glad this nightmare is over.” He took her restraints off, and Cassandra began to laugh. 

“Wow!” Cassandra said. “I didn’t actually think you’d buy that.”

Eugene scowled. “We held up our end of the bargain. Now show us that Varian’s alive.”

“You and Rapunzel are perfect for each other, I’ll give you that,” Cassandra chuckled. “Earnest, naive, easy to manipulate...it’s adorable!” Her face hardened. “And it’s why you’re never going to win.” 

She grabbed the comm pad. “Kyle, if you took me seriously just then, call it off.”

“Kyle isn’t available at the moment!” Varian’s voice said brightly, and Eugene’s heart leapt. Was he escaping?!

“But I’ve got it under control!” Varian said, and there was a loud buzzing. “Don’t worry, this one was just a prototype, the next one will be much bigger. You can count on me, Cassie!”

Eugene felt his heart begin to sink again. “Varian?” Pascal said hesitantly. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, hey,” Cassandra said. “Wanna talk to him?” She clicked a button, and the pad buzzed, showing Varian, who was wearing his goggles with a huge grin on his face. He looked absolutely fine. Too fine. 

Varian caught sight of them and paused, his face going pale with shock. “Pascal?”

“Just hang on, Varian,” Eugene said. “We’ll rescue you!”

“I don’t need you to rescue me,” Varian said. “I know how well that went the first time.”

“Are...you on the Horde’s side?” Pascal asked hesitantly. 

“I mean…” Varian’s voice was cold. “You left me. They didn’t.”

“Did I forget to mention that?” Cassandra chuckled. “Whoops!”

“I’ve made more progress with my research than I have in years when I was neutral-or with the Rebellion,” Varian said. “I’m so close to unraveling the secrets of Etheria! Hacking the Black Garnet was just the first step-”

“That was you?” Pascal asked weakly.

“Varian, please, we didn’t-” Eugene started, but Varian flipped his goggles up, his eyes icy and mean.

“Take care of Ruddiger. Assuming you didn’t leave him too.” He said, and reached out to fiddle with his own comm pad. It turned off.

Cassandra smiled. “So much for the power of friendship.”

Pascal hung his head, going to Eugene. “Come on. Let’s just go.”

Eugene didn’t answer. “Eugene?” Pascal asked, and then noticed the prince’s fists were clenched and shaking.

With a hoarse cry, Eugene whirled around, charging Cassandra, with no plan or weapons. Just fists and fury.

Cassandra dodged easily, laughing, and Lance grabbed Eugene and threw him roughly. Rogelio and Adira charged him. “Eugene!” Pascal shouted, shooting an arrow. A long rope popped out at the end of it, and he swung up and kicked Rogelio and Adira away.

Cassandra pounced on him. “Forget the prince! He has no power! Get him!”

Lance advanced, and Eugene hauled himself to his feet, teleporting next to Cassandra and yanking Pascal away. “I saved a little magic, just for you!”

He blinked away just as Lance fist collided with Cassandra instead of Pascal.

Eugene and Pascal landed on the side of the mountain, and Eugene slumped. “Are you okay?!” Pascal asked, looking worried.

“I…” Eugene frowned, running his hands through his hair, not caring if he messed it up. “No. Not at all.”

Pascal frowned, helping him to his feet. “Let’s go home.”

*** *** ***

“At least we know that Varian’s alive.” Pascal said, lying on Eugene’s couch, exhausted.

“Alive, and working for the Horde. And he hates us.” Eugene said, similarly exhausted. 

“Guys!” Rapunzel entered, grinning. “You’ll never guess what Maximus and I did today! We restored a First Ones’ Watchtower so Light Hope can balance the planet and we brought a wheat field to life and-what happened to you?”

“We…” Eugene sighed. “We have a lot to catch you up on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> skipped the swift wind secondary plot because frankly i didnt care about it :/


	3. Haunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> watched coco and bawled my poor eyes out i forgot how much i loved that movie

The little imp scuttled across the floor of Hector’s lab, every so often turning over loose scraps, looking for anything of interest. When he found nothing, he went to his master, climbing him easily and coming to rest on his shoulder, staring at the poison green plasma ball that pulsed with barely contained energy.

Hector didn’t react to the imp, his yellow eyes fixed on the ball. The plasma ball pulsed again, and Hector smiled. “Finally.”

The imp chittered happily, though it had no idea what was going on. The ball suddenly hummed, and then flashed brightly. Hector stumbled back, surprised, but it was too late. The surrounding equipment from the blast was damaged and smoking.

The imp chattered something that might have been a laugh, and Hector pushed him roughly off his shoulder. “Useless!” He growled. 

The imp scurried away, hiding in the shadows. “Useless.” It repeated in Hector’s voice, his mouth never moving.

Hector disappeared into the shadows, beginning his grueling process again.

*** *** ***

“I can’t believe Varian’s working for the Horde,” Rapunzel said, walking with purpose through the Whispering Woods. “Gothel must have messed with his mind. Right?”

“I don’t know,” Eugene admitted. “He seemed pretty...Varian when we talked to him. He wants to be with the Horde. They have better tech than us, and he thinks we left him behind.” Eugene brightened slightly. “But we have magic on our side!”

“Magic and tech aren’t totally separate things,” Pascal said, fiddling with one of his new tricks arrows. “Varian’s one of the only people who understands that. He got closer to combining them than anyone. And...now he’s with the Horde.”

Rapunzel and Eugene glanced at each other, a heavy silence falling over them.

“Well!” Pascal said, a bit too brightly. “Who needs Varian? You got Pascal! Tech master and premier member of the Etherina maker community!” His arrow promptly burst into flames, and he yelped.

“Alright!” Maximus swooped down from above the canopy, landing in front of the group. “I spotted buildings ahead. The outpost is close.”

Eugene sighed. “Varian made his decision. He’s safe-as safe as you can be in the Horde-and we can’t rescue someone who doesn’t want to be rescued. But we can focus on our mission and help our people. We lost all contact with a farming outpost in Zulberg a week ago. The Horde hasn’t been reported in this area, but we can’t be too careful.”

“They’re definitely involved,” Rapunzel said. “They always are.”

“We can handle the Horde!” Eugene said. “I don’t care if they have Varian’s inventions. They’re no match for us. We’ll handle this the way we always do.”

“Brute strength?!” Rapunzel squealed.

“Almost dying?!” Maximus blustered.

“Wha-no! No,” He took a breath. “By sticking together and never giving up-why would it be almost dying?!”

“It happens a lot.” Maximus said. 

“Yeah!” Pascal cheered. “Best Friends Quad to the rescue!”

They paused, glancing at him, and Pascal shuffled. “Because...there’s four of us? And...nevermind, forget it.”

*** *** ***

Varian paused, suddenly realizing his table was shaking.

He frowned, setting down the piece of tech he had been taking apart, and crawled underneath. He frowned further when he realized there was a loose screw. That was a hazard. And yeah, most of the things he worked with were hazards, and he was pretty bad with safety precautions, but this particular hazard was annoying him.

“Ruddiger-” He coughed, his heart sinking slightly. “I-I mean Emily, hand me a six-sided hex screwdriver.”

Emily beeped happily, before scurrying off. She shuffled around, knocking over precariously balanced boxes and making a mess. Not that it wasn’t a mess before, of course. After a few minutes of searching, she beeped sadly, shaking her robot head.

“Hm,” Varian said. “You’re right, Emily. We can’t work like this.”

He leapt onto the table, forgetting the shaky leg. As if waiting for the right moment, the table buckled, and Varian yelped as he and several heavy pieces of tech fell to the ground.

Emily beeped wildly, though rather out of amusement or concern, it was hard to tell. “Ow.” Varian muttered.

*** *** ***

Cassandra stepped into the throne room, forcing her expression to remain blasé. “You wanted to see me?” She asked. “Lord Hector?”

She glanced up, startling slightly when she saw that stupid imp staring down at her with empty eyes. She scowled at it, and it scowled back.

“State your purpose, Force Captain Cassandra.” Cassandra jumped, seeing Hector in the corner by his work, facing away from her.

Cassandra forced herself to go towards him. “Lord Hector, I just thought we should, uh...you know, touch base like you used to do with Gothel. Maybe we could establish a check-in-”

“So I am to understand,” Hector interrupted in a soft voice. “You’ve disturbed me for no reason.” 

“Uh,” Cassandra said. “Not for no reason. We need to plan our next move against the Rebellion. The Horde’s in a great spot-”

Hector turned to her suddenly. “Was squandering our advantage while the Whispering Woods regrew part of your plan?” He walked over to a machine, pulling a lever. A red glow appeared above him, starting to trickle down into a dome. “Was letting yourself get captured?”

Cassandra opened her mouth to reply, but was suddenly aware she was having a very difficult time breathing. “Etheria’s atmosphere has proven to be a complicating variable in my experiments.” Hector said lazily.

Cassandra wheezed slightly, trying to quell the panic growing in her chest. “I just removed that variable,” Hector said calmly. “Tell me, Force Captain, how is your breathing?”

Cassandra tried to speak, to tell him to stop, try to tell him something that would change his mind, but it was all she could do not to pass out. Her vision blurred dangerously, and she wondered if Gothel ever went through this odd routine. 

Hector frowned. “Pathetic,” He snarled. “Just like everything else on this backwards planet. Do you know what the definition of failure is, Captain?” He yanked the lever, and Cassandra gasped, drawing in big gulps of air with desperation.

“Failure is when something ceases to serve a purpose,” Hector said, his voice totally calm. “When that happens, it becomes worthless to me. Thus far, your performance has been lacking.” He hand lingered on the lever that would suffocate her once again, and Cassandra fought the urge to bolt.

“I haven’t failed yet,” She said, her voice still slightly wheezy. “No one knows how to take down the princesses better than I do. Trust me and let me do that.”

He was dead still, and Cassandra tried with little success not to look at the lever as though that might alert Hector to its presence. After a moment, he smiled slightly, as if amused. “You say you can defeat the Rebellion?” He stepped away from the lever, and relief washed through her. “Prove it. You are dismissed.”

Cassandra took a long, slow breath, and left, the imp calling her pathetic in Hector’s voice as she left.

*** *** ***

“Uh, just so you know…” Maximus said hesitantly. “I’m sensing something weird as we approach the outpost.”

“Weird?” Rapunzel asked. “What weird?”

“I can’t describe it, just weird.” Maximus said. He shuddered slightly as a cool breeze swept through the forest. “What is this place?”

“Zuhlberg is one of the Rebellion’s biggest suppliers of…” Eugene paused. “Well, supplies. It’s basically one big orchard. One big, lovely-”

A clearing appeared, gloomy and dark. Thick fog slunk on the ground, curling around their ankles like fingers reaching for something to grab. The houses were quiet and dark, and not one person was in sight. 

“-incredibly...creepy orchard.” Eugene finished, jumping slightly when Maximus began to eat a discarded apple on the ground. 

“What?” Maximus said defensively. “Creepy apples taste just as good as regular apples.”

Eugene frowned, but refocused. “The outpost must be up ahead.” He decided, walking into the clearing with false confidence. 

Rapunzel followed, looking around. “I don’t see any sign of Horde soldiers...I actually don’t see any sign of anyone. Where are they?”

“Maybe they’re all inside?” Eugene suggested weakly.

“Let me take a look,” Pascal said, grabbing a data pad. “I’ve updated this to detect Horde signals. If they’re here, we’ll find them with this.”

He tapped it, and then jumped when the pad let out an awful screech. Maximus whinnied loudly, and Rapunzel and Eugene covered their ears. Pascal frantically shook and fiddled with the pad until the screeching stopped, and looked upset. “I must have broken something during the upgrade…not to worry! I can fix this!” He tapped the pad a few times, and pursed his lips. “And I do not know how to fix this.”

“And in the meantime, all of Etheria knows we’re here,” Eugene sighed. “It’s okay...it’s okay! Whatever’s going on here, we’ll solve it together. Nothing gets past us!”

Another breeze, stronger and colder, blew through the empty town. Eugene bit his lip. “Even stories about Zuhlberg being haunted.”

“Haunted?” Rapunzel’s head snapped up to look at Eugene. “Like with ghosts?”

“It’s just stories,” Eugene said quickly. “And even if it wasn’t, we’ll handle them. No reason to be scared.”

“Hm…” Rapunzel looked uncertain. “Gothel used to tell me about ghosts when I was a kid in the Horde. Like the story of the Weeping Princess.” Her voice became low and foreboding. “A vengeful spirit who roams Etheria, looking for victims. You know she’s coming for you from the sound of weeping right before she strikes.”

“GAH!” Maximus suddenly reared, and the group instantly jumped into battle positions, on edge. “What was that?!”

“What was what?!” Eugene asked, his fists glowing.

“I’m not sure. I heard someone. A voice.” Maximus pawed the ground nervously. 

“The Weeping Princess?!” Rapunzel whispered.

“No…” Maximus said. “Someone’s here. I’m sure of it. We have to find them!”

He cantered off after the voice, and no one noticed the glowing figure peeking out at them from behind a twisting tree.

*** *** ***

“Third battalion is closest,” Cassandra said, studying a map. “If they make a move on Koto, the Rebellion will have to answer.”

“Yeah, uh…” Lance shuffled, arms full of papers and data pads. “There’s one problem. Um, third battalion is refusing to fight because they don’t have armor. They’re putting in...where is it…” He shuffled through his supplies, spilling papers everywhere. “Um, six requests for resupply! You didn’t see it?”

“I’ve been a little busy almost toppling Corona and coming closer than anyone else to conquering the planet!” Cassandra snapped. “Not that anybody seems to care!”

“I care.” Lance said softly. 

Cassandra paused, and then revamped her scowl. “Fine, give them the armor.”

“Okay! Uh…” Lance coughed. “I would love to do that, but the armory is out of armor.”

“So have them make more.” Cassandra growled.

“Okay, just gotta find that file…” Lance said, dropping more and more papers. “Hang on, this could take a minute.”

“How am I supposed to defeat the Rebellion when I have to do all this stupid busy work?!” Cassandra huffed. “I bet Gothel didn’t have to deal with this.”

“These are her files,” Lance held up a folder. “So she probably did? I dunno, just guessing.”

“Ah!” As if Cassandra didn’t have a bad enough headache already, Varian suddenly tumbled out of the vents. “Oh, hey guys! What’s going on?”

“You’re not a prisoner anymore, you don’t need to sneak around.” Cassandra said.

“Vents are faster. And more fun!” Varian stood up, dusting himself off. “I need a six-sided hex driver. Seen one?” He shuffled around the room. 

“I don’t have time for this,” Cassandra glared at him. “Aren’t you some kind of genius? Make do with what you already have.”

“Genius? Aw, you flatter me, Cassie,” He chuckled. “And I could, but it’s the principle, you know? Proper tool for the proper job.” He sighed. “If you can’t help me, it’s fine. I saw one in Hector’s lab.”

“No!” Cassandra dashed forward, grabbing Varian’s arm. “Look, I know you’re new to the Fright Zone, and possibly to being around people in general, but Hector is not someone to mess with.”

“I’m not gonna mess with him,” Varian protested. “I just need to borrow a tool! I’ll give it back.”

“Under no circumstances are you to go into Hector’s sanctum. Don’t even go near it. Don’t even think about it.” Cassandra said.

“What if I need to walk by it? Also, I’m thinking about it now.” Varian said.

“I’m not joking here, kid,” Cassandra hissed. “You need to promise me you’ll stay away from Hector. Promise!”

“Okay, okay! I promise!” Varian said, looking startled. 

“Oh, Cassandra!” Lance said, covered in papers. “Here it is! They say they can’t make more armor because the armory is out of...irid...doo-lem...irideli-okay, point is, they’re out of the stuff they need to make the armor.”

Cassandra took a deep breath. “So where do we get more?”

“I don’t have the file for that.” Lance said quietly. 

“Fine, I’ll handle it myself!” Cassandra waded into the ocean of bureaucracy. “Keep an eye on Varian, make sure he doesn’t bug Hector.”

“Got it, boss!” Lance stood up, relieved to be free of paper duty. “I won’t let him out of my sight!”

That is, he wouldn’t let the scientist out of his sight once he found him again.

*** *** ***

“Hello?” Rapunzel called hesitantly into the empty town, and Maximus jumped with a shrill yelp.

“I mean…” The horse coughed. “Who did that? Pascal, man, pull yourself together!”

Pascal knocked on a door hesitantly, and the door swung open ominously. It was too dark to see inside. Maximus twitched slightly. “I’ll...wait out here in case anyone tries to sneak up on you. Also, that door is too small for horses, which is rude.”

“How noble of you,” Eugene said dryly, and then turned back to the door. “Okay, on three. One...two...three!”

The trio burst into the house, and froze. There was no one inside, but there was food on the table as though the inhabitants were just out of sight. Rapunzel approached the table, examining it hesitantly. “The food’s cold. Whoever lives here left in a hurry, but a while ago.”

“There’s no sign of the Horde,” Pascal said. “And no sign of struggle at all. They just...left.”

“This is just like the story of the Headless Prince,” Rapunzel said in a horrified whisper. “He stalks the night, pulling people out of their beds. Leaving nothing but bloody footprints.”

Each of them glanced at the floor while trying to pretend they weren’t. No footprints. 

“What’d you find?” The trio jumped, and Eugene jumped onto Rapunzel. 

“Sorry,” Maximus looked embarrassed, halfway through the door. “I don’t like being out here by myself.”

Eugene was bright red, stepping away from Rapunzel. “We should check out the other buildings.”

*** *** ***

“Hey guys!” Pascal called, wincing when Eugene and Rapunzel jumped. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Rapunzel said, a few more scares away from a heart attack. “What is it?”

Pascal pointed to a tall obelisk in the center of the town, covered in vines. “Does that look familiar to you?”

“I’m not sure, maybe-”

There was a loud banging, and the group screamed. Eugene teleported away, Maximus taking off into the sky, and Pascal and Rapunzel swinging their weapons around with very little thought in regard to safety. The open window shutter banged again, the breeze moving it around. 

Rapunzel blinked. “Oh.” 

Eugene reappeared beside her, white-faced. “Sorry,” He coughed. “I have no idea why I did that.”

“This place is weird,” Rapunzel said. “Like the layer of the Undead Royal. Where they lure soldiers to their doom.”

“Undead Royal?” Pascal asked. “The Horde had a theme, huh?”

“Huh,” Rapunzel said. “You’re right. I can’t believe I’m just realizing this now.”

“Do you have any stories that weren’t traumatizing?” Eugene asked, and then sighed. “Weird or not, we’re on a mission. Something happened here that forced these people to flee their homes. We have to get to the bottom of this.”

And once again, no one saw the white figure gliding across the town.

*** *** ***

“Mm…” Varian said, staring at the entrance to Hector’s lab. Emily beeped.

“I know, I promised, but…” He smiled. “If she never finds out, does it really count?”

Emily rattled, almost like a scolding. Varian ignored her. “I could just pop in, grab the tool, and pop out, and no one would be any wiser for it! Except me.” 

He sighed. “I shouldn't. I shouldn’t.” He absently reached to his shoulder, his heart giving a pang when he realized Ruddiger wasn’t there. He told himself it was better, that the raccoon was better off out of the metal and smog filled kingdom, but all the same…

“I won’t.” Varian decided.

*** *** ***

“A six-sided hex driver!” Varian whispered to Emily, staring at the tool just out of reach. Hector was a stone’s throw away, fiddling with something else. The imp sat on the table, chewing his tail.

Varian crept forward, and his fingers were brushing the driver when something suddenly pulsed green, and Varian saw a huge plasma ball swirling gloriously in front of Hector. His mouth fell open. “Oh, wow.” 

The plasma ball fizzed, and died away. “Oh-” Varian said, and then ducked under the table, when Hector suddenly turned. The man screamed in fury, sweeping the supplies off the table in a fit of rage, and Varian flinched, covering his mouth to keep from gasping. He was starting to regret his choice. 

Hector heaved for a few moments, and then turned around and walked out of the lab, his imp following close behind. Varian waited a minute to make sure he was really gone, and then emerged from his hiding place. 

“There’s no reason to get huffy over an experiment!” He said, motioning for Emily to follow. “Failure is an important part of the scientific endeavor!” He grabbed the six-sided hex driver, feeling brighter. “What if I had given up on you after the first failed experiment? Or the fiftieth?” He asked Emily. 

Emily beeped urgently. “I know! I should leave...but I have to stay!” Varian said grandly. He punched the air. “For science!”

*** *** ***

Eugene squinted through a dark window, trying to see anything. Something moved in the reflection of the glass, and he whirled around. Nothing was there. 

He shook his head when Rapunzel and Maximus appeared around the corner again. “It’s totally abandoned.”

Rapunzel opened her mouth, but winced when there was a shrill whistle that sounded like it was coming from right next to her. “Do you guys hear that?”

“Yes!” Maximus said. “Finally! See, I told you! Weird sound!”

“It’s like something…” Rapunzel winced when the noise started again. “Something’s singing.”

“I don’t hear anything,” Eugene said. “Probably just the wind-” He froze when he heard something almost lyrical echoing softly through the town.

“Okay, now I hear it too!” Pascal said, voice slightly shrill. 

Something moved in the forest, and Rapunzel yelped. “There! There’s someone there!” She grabbed her flower. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

The Sundrop appeared, though she didn’t look much more confident than Rapunzel did. 

She raced into the forest, Eugene and Pascal yelling at her to stop.

*** *** ***

Varian switched out wires, humming mindlessly to himself. He reached for a driver, and paused when a long shadow suddenly fell over him. Slowly, as if hoping it might go away, he turned to see Hector staring down at him, scowling.

“Uh...hi!” Varian said, voice a bit squeaky. “Just...uh…”

“Get out!” Hector roared.

“Just a sec! I’m almost finished!” Varian squeaked, frantically trying to finish his task. The last two wires connected and hummed, and he stood up quickly. “All done! Bye!”

“There will be dire consequences for this!” Hector said, and Emily whirred nervously, pushing Varian out.

“You were using uninsulated wires!” Varian said before he could stop himself. “I replaced them for you, try again!”

Hector snarled, but after a moment, hesitantly pulled the lever once he was sure Varian was gone. There was nothing, and he scowled, clenching his fists and already making plans for this child to have a one-stop ticket to his darkest cell-

And then the plasma ball flickered to life, steady and brighter than ever.

Hector blinked. “He...was right.”

“Of course I was right!” Varian was back, though Hector didn’t know how he had escaped his notice before. He walked around the plasma ball, looking awed. “It’s beautiful. It’s a power source, isn’t it? What are you building that needs so much power?”

Varian paused, and then raced over to a computer before Hector could stop him. “I recognize these formulas! You’re experimenting with portals?! I mean, I’m familiar with the concept, but multi-dimensional gateways are theoretical. No one’s ever come close to achieving one, right?”

“Obviously,” Hector growled. “Someone from a backwater planet such as your’s couldn’t possibly comprehend it.”

“Hey!” Varian said, offended. “I’m the one who got your power source working, right? Tell me everything!”

Hector paused. “Portals aren’t theoretical. They’re real. And I’m going to open one.”

“You are?!” Varian grinned. “Can I help?!”

He laughed, overjoyed. “Just think of the possibilities! You could transport troops, weapons, anything from one side of the planet to the other!” 

“You think too small,” Hector said. “Unsurprising. You can’t begin to understand the potential a device of this nature would possess.”

Varian frowned, and then perked up. “Wait, if Etheria is a backwater planet, does that mean there are others?”

“Of course there are,” Hector glared at him. “There are countless galaxies, filled with countless other worlds. Etheria is the only planet I’ve ever encountered that does not seem to understand that.”

“Other worlds?!” Varian thought he might pass out. “And you’ve been there?!”

Hector merely smiled.

*** *** ***

“You’ve come back.” Gothel said, her hands now curled into claws. 

“I contacted every mine under Horde control,” Cassandra said, tossing files in front of her. “None of them have the material to make armor. Without it, I can’t attack Koto. You’re trying to sabotage me! Where’s the missing file?!” 

Gothel smiled slightly. “The material you seek comes from the foundry right here in the Fright Zone.”

Cassandra blinked, and then scowled. “Fine.”

Gothel chuckled. “Being me isn’t quite what you imagined, is it? I suppose you thought Hector would let you run things now?”

“He does,” Cassandra said quickly. “I can do what I want.”

“But he’ll never trust you with his real plans,” Gothel shrugged. “Don’t take it personally. He never did with me, either.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cassandra lied. “Maybe he never did with you, but he trusts me plenty.”

Gothel merely smiled, and Cassandra left, an ugly feeling of guilt and fury rolling around inside her.

*** *** ***

Pascal sprinted after the Sundrop, noticing the ground was oddly flat. “The light came from over here!” The Sundrop said.

They froze, waiting for something to happen.

There was a whisper, and a flash of light appeared beside the Sundrop. They screamed, and she charged forward, swinging wildly, but the light disappeared. “Where’d it go?!” The Sundrop asked. “Did I get it?!”

“No!” Eugene shrieked as a bright figure began to walk towards him. “Run!”

They took off, only to be blocked off by two more figures, faceless and vague. “Other way!” Eugene decided. 

The figures circled them, whispering vaguely. “Sundrop, do something!” Maximus pleaded.

“Like what?! Flail at them again?!” The Sundrop asked shrilly. “I can handle the Horde, not this! This is like the story-”

“Stop telling your awful ghost stories! It’s only making things worse!” Eugene snapped. He groaned. “Oh, Cassandra was right, I’m terrible at this!”

“And I can’t replace Varian!” Pascal said. “I can’t even make this stupid pad work!”

“And I’m still hearing stuff coming from the pointy thing!” Maximus wailed, motioning to the obelisk.

“Pointy-hang on.” Pascal said. He stood up, slowly going to one of the figures.

“Pascal! What are you doing?!” Eugene whispered-screamed. The Sundrop sprinted out, swinging her sword so hard it cracked the ground, but it passed harmlessly through the figure. 

The ground lit up, lines of tech running into the woods and around the obelisk, and Pascal smiled. “Of course...it’s a First Ones ruin! These aren’t ghosts, they’re holograms!”

“Holograms can’t walk around on their own.” The Sundrop said.

“Look at them, really look at them!” Pascal said.

“No thanks!” Eugene said.

Pascal motioned to a figure that kept waving over, and over, and over. “They’re running on a loop.”

“It’s...a recording.” The Sundrop said. 

“Mmm…” Eugene made a face. “Still creepy.”

“I think I know where they’re coming from,” Pascal said. “Come on.”

*** *** ***

“Cassandra! Hey, hey! Cassandra!” Lance waved, still clutching several files. “I found the file, and guess what?”

“The material is produced right here in the Fright Zone?” Cassandra asked. 

Lance blinked. “Are you psychic?”

“Where’s...where’s Varian?!” Cassandra asked suddenly. “You’re supposed to be watching him!”

“You know…” Lance chuckled nervously. “He’s uh...he’s...yeah, I don’t know where he is. Truthfully. But I’m gonna fix that, because that’s the kind of friend I am. So, you’re welcome.”

Cassandra groaned.

*** *** ***

Varian plugged in a new wire, smiling as the plasma ball grew brighter. “This is probably the max with what you’ve got to work with here! If we had some First Ones tech, we could generate some more voltage!”

The door burst open, and Cassandra sprinted in, trying to hide her panic. “I’m sorry, Lord Hector. Varian’s new, he won’t bother you again-”

“Oh, hey, Cassie!” Varian smiled brightly. “Don’t worry, I got it all under control!”

“You are the one bothering me, Force Captain,” Hector said. “With your unwelcome intrusion! I am working! With Varian’s assistance.”

Cassandra stepped back in shock. “You...what?” 

“Did you hear that, Emily?” Varian asked the robot. “I’ve never had a lab partner before!”

Cassandra was quiet, entirely unsure of what to do. Gothel’s words rang in her mind louder than ever.

The imp hissed at her, and slowly, she turned, and left the lab.

*** *** ***

“This is it!” Maximus said as Pascal tore roots off of the obelisk. “This is where the noise is coming from.”

“It looks like Light Hope’s beacon.” The Sundrop said. 

“It’s an antenna,” Pascal paused to examine it. “I think the outpost is built on some kind of First Ones communication hub. When the Black Garnet disrupted the planet, it must’ve caused the hub to power up, and it’s trying to send stored messages.” He turned to the Sundrop. “With you translating, you might be able to turn it off.”

“So…” The Sundrop looked at the figures, which seemed much more melancholic. “These are First Ones?”

“Yeah. Why?” Pascal asked.

“I…” The Sundrop paused, watching a young girl spin in a frilly dress, presumably having a great time. “I’ve just been picturing them as these big, epic figures. But they’re just...people. Sending messages to their loved ones. Messages that were never received because of what Mara did to the planet.”

She frowned, and Maximus nudged her. She smiled slightly, and went over to the obelisk, examining it. After a moment of deliberation, she placed her hand against the smooth stone face of it, and the structure lit up. The holograms fizzed, and then disappeared.

There were no spirits in the town, but it held ghosts all the same.

Pascal examined his pad. “The farmers must’ve been scared off by the holograms. We should be able to get them a message to tell them it’s safe.”

“Nice,” Eugene nudged Pascal. “The Rebellion is lucky to have you, Tech Master Pascal.”

Pascal grinned widely, glowing under the praise. “Now that the antenna is turned off, everything should go back to normal.” He tapped the pad, and the screen lit up with criss-crossing lines and symbols. 

“It’s that message again,” Pascal frowned. “First Ones writing.”

“But we powered down the antenna.” Maximus said. 

“If it is First Ones writing, I can’t read it,” The Sundrop said. “It’s way too degraded.”

“You said it yourself,” Eugene shrugged “The pad must be broken. Don’t worry, I’m sure you can fix it.”

“Yeah…” Pascal said slowly. “That must be it.”

*** *** ***

Somewhere in the desert, a panel inside the corpse of a ship suddenly flickered to life.

Untouched by sand but muddled by time, a message rolled down the screen, repeating endlessly, begging for someone to heed it before it was too late.

But no one was there to read it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall know the drill. see you next time!


	4. Roll for Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KEEP FORGETTING THIS BOOK EXISTS MY BAD

At the base of a Horde camp, Eugene, Pascal, and the Sundrop edged carefully along the cliff face, aware one misstep could send them tumbling over the edge and into oblivion. 

“Okay,” The Sundrop said. “We need to find a way to reclaim the Horde-occupied fortress for the Rebellion. How do we want to do this?”

“I’ll teleport ahead to scout a path.” Eugene volunteered. 

“And I’ll quietly shoot trick arrows at the turrets.” Pascal said. 

“You’ll have the advantage in a sneak attack,” The Sundrop nodded. “Go!”

Eugene disappeared, and reappeared in a flash of light behind a guard. He swung his staff, hitting the guard in the head, and smiled when they collapsed. The Sundrop used her hair to haul herself over the ledge and into the fortress, taking out another guard with ease. 

Pascal’s tricks arrows exploded into green goo, trapping several guards in place. He grinned to himself, perched on top of a cannon. “Yes! Okay-” He reached for more arrows, but a previously unnoticed cannon from higher up suddenly buzzed to life, hitting Pascal in the chest.

The Sundrop shouted, rushing to Pascal, but she was too late. With a shriek, Pascal fell into the canyon, the fog below swallowing him up as though he never existed. His scream of terror echoed like a ghost. 

“He’s…” Eugene trailed off, pale.

*** *** ***

“Dead?!” Pascal protested. “Again?!” He snatched up the tiny figure that Rapunzel had made of him, the green poncho the three inch tall model was wearing slightly chipped. “Don’t worry, Tiny Pascal,” He said sadly. “Your sacrifice will not be in vain.”

“Tinier Pascal,” Eugene corrected, leaning forward to examine the diorama Rapunzel had constructed of the Horde fortress. “Anyway, it’s your own fault for sitting out in the open like that.”

Rapunzel frowned, looking at the two remaining figures of herself and Eugene, and then behind her folder, hidden from the other two. “Well, that clearly isn’t going to work,” She said. “Let’s try this again.”

“I shouldn’t be dead,” Pascal argued. “That cannon came out of nowhere!”

“You failed to make a successful observation check,” Eugene said. “If we’re gonna retake the pass, we have to be prepared for everything.”

“The pass is the only way in or out of this region,” Rapunzel said, studying the diorama. “The reports say the Horde seized it while we were defending Corona. So it’s crucial we take it back.”

“Why does this mean _I_ have to die?” Pascal asked. 

“Our plans always fall apart, always!” Rapunzel said.

“I mean, we’re really good at improvising,” Eugene said, poking his figure lazily. “Do you think you can fix my nose if we have the time? It looks funny.”

“Take this seriously,” Rapunzel scolded. “Improvising relies on luck, and we’re due for a string of bad luck by this point. If we’re gonna pull this off, we need a foolproof plan that won’t fall apart and takes everything into account that the Horde might throw at us! Including surprise attacks.”

“You’re breaking Tiny Pascal’s heart.” Pascal whimpered. He cradled the figure gently. “Look at his face!”

“He’s smiling.” Eugene said.

“Through his pain, Eugene. He’s just barely hanging on.” Pascal explained. 

“Guys, this pass is important!” Rapunzel said, frustrated. “The Horde won’t give it up without a fight. It’s going to be guarded by their best and brightest!”

*** *** ***

“Move those big weapon things! Flap those banners! Uh…” Lance paused, unsure what his next order should be. “Keep doing whatever you’re doing, guy I’m pointing at! Now do a different thing, look sharp, captain’s orders!”

Lance smiled, turning to Adira and Rogelio. “Cassandra put me in charge, can you believe it?!”

Adira and Rogelio glanced at each other. 

“Everything has to go perfectly today,” Lance said. “We can’t let her down. Kyle! Man those parapets!”

Kyle winced. “I...don’t know what those are.”

“Then go find out!” Lance ordered. Kyle sprinted off, and Lance smiled to himself once again.

“Ah, I should get her a gift to say thanks for this…Adira, Rogelio, you know Cassandra. What does she like?” He asked.

“Maybe we should spend less time talking about Cassandra, and more time checking the defenses.” Adira said grumpily. 

“Okay, okay…” Lance chuckled. “You don’t need to remind me. Wildcat’s counting on me, I won’t let her down. I will defend this pass with my very life!” He pointed dramatically.

“The pass is on the other side.” Adira said. 

“Ah, thanks.”

*** *** ***

“Clearly, that last plan won’t work,” Rapunzel said. “Maybe if we try sneaking past the turrets from a different side…”

“You’re going about this all wrong,” Eugene said, grabbing the folder. “We’re not going to win by sneaking. We’re going to win by taking action!”

He grinned. “Using my awesome powers of teleportation, I take out their first line of defenses!” He imitated an explosion, sweeping the model tanks off the table. 

“Then, I teleport onto the wall, and take out a line of soldiers in a single hit!” He grabbed his figure, using it to knock over the multicolored pins that signified soldiers. “Ka-pow! I backflip, frontflip, backflip into a teleport and boom! Then, I take out a superbot, and it explodes! And tada! I’m past the wall! I’m unstoppable!”

“You ran out of teleports, like, twelve teleports ago.” Pascal said.

“Then I’ll land on you!” Eugene decided, dropping his figure right on top of Pascal’s. It fell over with a soft, defeated click.

Pascal gasped in horror. “Tiny Pascal! No! Not again!” 

“We need to come up with a plan based on reality.” Rapunzel said, giving Eugene a look. 

“Yes,” Eugene agreed. “And in that moment, I really would land on Pascal.”

“You’re a monster,” Pascal said. “And your nose looks stupid.”

“Hey-”

Rapunzel snatched the folder back. “Using a limited number of teleports isn’t a bad idea. So...Eugene will take Pascal and use his powers to teleport him into a turret’s blind spot. Pascal will act as backup, while you and I breach a less patrolled area.”

“Uh…” The trio glanced up, not having noticed Stalyan standing over them until she spoke. “Why’re you playing with dolls?”

“We’re not playing with dolls!” Rapunzel said.

“Yeah!” Pascal nodded. “They’re war-table, battle figures.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on watch?” Eugene asked.

Stalyan peeked out the entrance to the tent. “Oh, look, the fortress is still there. Just like it was an hour ago. Watch complete.”

Eugene scowled, and Stalyan rolled her eyes. “Chill out, I switched with Fidella.”

“We’re still coming up with a plan.” Rapunzel said.

“Am I in the plan?” Stalyan asked, sitting down.

“I’m not-” Rapunzel started, but Pascal interrupted.

“We don’t have a figure for you, but I found this seashell in my bag!” Pascal offered Stalyan a small conch shell. “You can be that if you want.”

“Pass,” Stalyan glanced at the table, and grabbed the figure with long, golden hair. “I’ll be the Sundrop.”

“You can’t be the Sundrop,” Rapunzel said. “I’m the Sundrop.”

“Not anymore,” Stalyan said. “You snooze, you lose-”

Eugene grabbed her shoulder and teleported out of the tent. Seconds later, he returned, alone and holding the Sundrop figure. “Man, I can’t stand her.”

“She’s your ex.” Pascal said.

“I admit my plan was a bit...much,” Eugene said. “But most of the plan could work!”

“Except you’re not taking into account the biggest variable,” Rapunzel said darkly. “Cassandra. She’s been behind every Horde plan, she led the attack on Corona, she’s devious-”

“And I already thought of that.” Eugene said. He snatched up his figure, setting it next to the spiky pinecone that depicted Cassandra. “The destruction of the robots lured her out, of course, and she’s armed the towers with bombs to take me out.”

“You?” Pascal asked.

“All of us, whatever,” Eugene waved him off. “So then-”

“I cast Giant Flytrap on Cassandra!” Fidella sat down next to Eugene, making him jump. She flicked her hand, and a flytrap emerged from the table, diving towards the pinecone. Eugene grabbed his figure to move it out of the way, accidentally knocking the pinecone aside. The flytrap grabbed Pascal’s figure instead, and started chewing.

Pascal wailed, and Fidella winced. “Sorry.”

“What-all of you?!” Eugene asked, seeing Stalyan, Keira, and Catalina were there as well. “What are you doing here?!”

“Stalyan said you were playing a game!” Keira said. “We wanna join.”

“We’re in the middle of a serious planning session!” Rapunzel said. 

“We have lots of ideas for plans!” Fidella grinned.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on watch right now?” Eugene asked.

No one answered.

Rapunzel groaned. “Okay, but only if you’re serious-”

“Great!” Keira and Catalina plopped down next to Eugene, and the group immediately broke out into disjointed chatter and ideas.

Rapunzel frowned, already regretting her decision. 

*** *** ***

“We have reports of royals in the area,” Lance said, looking at the tiny robot in Rogelio’s palm. “Spy Bot, your mission is simple. Spy on the royals so we can stop them, and impress Cassandra so much, she’ll finally admit we’re best friends. Or at least friends. Got it?”

“It’s…” Adira sighed. “It’s not turned on. That’s not how it works.”

Lance frowned, glancing down at the robot again. “...good! Good. I was just...testing you. And you passed. Kudos.”

Adira and Rogelio glanced at each other again. 

“Now let’s go spy!” Lance said grandly. 

Adira coughed, and Lance paused. She pressed a remote into his hand and clicked a button. The robot whirred to life, and Lance chuckled. “Ah...right.”

*** *** ***

“Okay,” Pascal said, looking around the table. “Everyone has a figure. Except Fidella, who is using her plant, and Stalyan, who has that for some reason.” He glanced at her six inch tall doll of herself.

“Look, it’s to scale.” Stalyan said, moving her doll next to Pascal’s figure, and it dwarfed his. 

Pascal frowned. 

“Okay, so I’m thinking-” But Pascal grabbed the folder before she could finish. 

“Hold on,” He said. “So far I’ve been shot, eaten, and squashed. We’re doing my plan. And there will be no death, no dying. Just heroic, good times!”

He scooted his figure forward. “After I destroy the turret with my trick arrows, Eugene teleports us to the tower. There, someone waits in the shadows…” He paused for dramatic effect. “Cassandra! She turns into a pinecone-”

“She can do that?” Catalina asked.

“N-no, but that’s what we have for her,” Pascal admitted. “Also, the Horde has dragons now, because I only have dragon figures.”

“Why do you have dragon figures-” Stalyan started, but Pascal ignored her. 

“I shoot Cassandra with a net arrow!” Pascal said, and grabbed the net model. He tossed it, but misjudged the distance, and it landed on himself. “Oh come on!”

“She would obviously duck,” Rapunzel said. “You can’t underestimate Cassandra or the Horde. Now, I think we can exploit a weakness in the wall.”

“Is it my turn?” Fidella asked. 

“This isn’t a game!” Rapunzel snapped.

“I use my magic to grow a Plant Golem and take down the wall!” Fidella declared. 

“We’re not just making whatever we want.” Rapunzel said, feeling a headache coming on. 

“Plus your idea is dumb.” Stalyan added.

Fidella huffed. “And what would you do?”

“Obviously,” Stalyan pushed her doll forward. “I step up and say ‘I am Stalyan. Fabulous secrets were revealed to me the day I held my trident aloft and said for the honor of whales!’ Then it’s like, sparkle sparkle, a dolphin-”

“Stalyan…” Rapunzel said.

“I get shoes that are slightly better than my normal shoes, there’s probably another dolphin-”

“Stalyan-”

“Then I twirl, and my hair does this thing where it looks super messy but it’s actually really pretty-”

“Stalyan!” Rapunzel snapped. “You can’t transform into the Sundrop!”

“Uh, duh,” Stalyan rolled her eyes. “I’m the Seadrop. Princess of the Oceans, obviously.”

“If she gets to be the Seadrop, I want my Golem.” Fidella said. 

“The Winter Banes need no help from a plant!” Keira said, and Catalina nodded in agreement. 

“The what?!” Rapunzel asked. 

“Our enemies know us as Frostbite Winter’s Banes,” Keira said. “Our friends call us the Banes. That is, if we had any. But no one comes close to the Winter Banes!”

Keira pulled out a piece of paper with a big scrawled drawing of her and her sister wearing big, icy armor. “We’ve got broadswords that enhance strength plus three, and our finishing move is the Snowstrike!”

“What’s that blob?” Stalyan pointed to the messy sketch in the corner.

“Our sidekick! Eugene!” Keira said.

“Looks just like him.” Stalyan smiled.

“What?!” Eugene scowled. “I’m not a sidekick. If anything, you’re all my sidekicks.”

“We’re getting so far from the real plan,” Rapunzel groaned. “Can we please focus?!”

“We’d be your sidekicks?” Stalyan scoffed. “Oh, that’s rich.”

*** *** ***

The tiny spy robot scuttled into the tent, videoing the meeting inside and transmitting it to the waiting Lance, Adira, and Rogelio. 

“We got visual,” Adira said. “Let me turn on the audio-”

“My army of Plant Golems will take down the towers instantly!” The plant princess said. 

“Frostbite uses Snowstrike to encase the tower in ice, and then, kapow!” One of the kids declared.

“You mean the Seadrop will use the Trident of Power to blow it up.” The mean princess corrected.

“You don’t have a Trident of Power!” The Corona prince said.

“Ugh!” The princess tossed her hair. “Pascal, give me a Trident of Power!”

“I just don’t wanna die again.” Pascal whimpered. 

“I can’t believe it.” Lance said softly.

“Me neither.” Adira said, watching the exchange.

“They’re gonna give us frostbite, attack us with plant monsters, and a woman called the Seadrop, and Pascal’s got a Trident of Power?!” Lance looked panicked. “Who knows what that does?! Oh, we’re doomed!” 

“They’re obviously coming up with ideas!” Adira snapped. “Terrible ideas.”

“We can’t risk it.” Lance said. He tried to grab the remote, but Adira jerked away. “Hey, give it to me! We-wait no!” The screen suddenly dissolved into static as Stalyan spilled a drink onto the robot. The robot stumbled out, beeped weakly, and then collapsed.

“No!” Lance said. “Kyle, get one of the other spy robots you packed!”

“Um…” Kyle looked sweaty. “Was that...my job? To pack?”

“What?!” Adira shrieked, and Kyle winced.

“Really, Kyle, I don’t know how you haven’t been fired.” Lance shook his head. 

*** *** ***

“I teleport in-” Eugene said.

“Out of teleports.” Rapunzel said dully.

“My Plant Golem tears down the wall-”

“The Horde sets it on fire.”

“Frostbite smashes the wall!”

“The ice armor cracks as you hit the stone!”

“The Seadrop destroys the Horde bots.”

“There is no Seadrop!” Rapunzel snapped, somewhat tempted to throw something heavy at Stalyan. “And you guys aren’t taking Cassandra into account! None of this is right!”

“We’ve been at this for hours,” Eugene groaned. “It’s time we attack.”

“The Horde will counter whatever we throw at them!” Rapunzel shook her head. “We’ll go again. And we’re not gonna leave until we have the perfect plan.”

“Rapunzel…” Pascal said slowly. “Isn’t this going...a little overboard? We’ve faced the Horde before. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Rapunzel’s face went stony. “You wanna know the worst that can happen? Fine.”

She gathered the figures, and began arranging them. “I’m the heaviest hitter, so Cassandra will separate me right away, trap me, take my flower, do something so I’m helpless when she turns on you. She knows everything about me, what I’ll do, how to take me out. They’ll overwhelm Stalyan, Keira, and Catalina with bots, and fire on Fidella. They’ll use her to draw Pascal out, pinning him between the bots and Horde soldiers. Eugene will teleport in, but not have enough magic to get out. And Cassandra will make me watch before she finishes me off, and then everyone is gone, the Horde wins, Etheria crumbles, and it’s all my fault!”

There was a heavy silence.

Rapunzel sighed. “The Horde nearly destroyed Etheria. We were barely able to stop it. If this plan isn’t perfect, if I’m not perfect, we’ll…” She trailed off, and sighed again.

Eugene frowned. “Blondie...I was captured by Gothel, taken to the Fright Zone and lost my powers.”

“Eugene, not helping.” Pascal whispered.

“But you know what?” Eugene ignored Pascal. “We escaped. I fought without my powers, and we won! Bad things are going to happen, that’s life. You can let it paralyze you...or you can roll with it. Figure out the things you can, and trust that your friends have your back for the rest.”

Rapunzel took a deep breath, and managed to smile slightly. “Thanks, Eugene.”

“So…” Pascal drummed his fingers. “What do we do?”

“We do what we do best,” Rapunzel smiled. “We improvise.”

*** *** ***

“We’ve added more bots to the tower’s weak points,” Adira said. “Kyle is...hiding. Rogelio is commanding the extra turrets.”

“And there are plans for plant monsters or warriors in ice armor or the Seadrop?!” Lance asked.

Adira groaned. “For the last time, none of that stuff is real! We reinforced our defenses. We got this.”

“Okay,” Lance let out a breath. “Good. Thanks, Adira.”

There was a rumble, and a low growl. Adira stumbled back, feeling slightly dizzy. “No...it...it can’t be!”

A hand of vines grabbed the edge of the wall, pulling itself over. Vines spread from its fingertips, sweeping up any soldier too slow to get out of the way. The massive head of a Plant Golem peeked over the edge of the wall, Fidella giggling happily on top. “For the Sundrop!” The golem roared.

“Fire!” Lance shouted.

The cannon whirred to life, but a wave of ice suddenly covered them. Keira and Catalina slid in, high fiving each other with battle glee. They threw robots over the side of the wall, laughing like it was a game.

Stalyan, or the Seadrop, flew over the side of the wall on a massive wave, clutching her trident tightly. She waved it, and the machinery her water covered sparked and fell silent.

Two arrows pierced a cannon, and Pascal leapt down from his position to join the Sundrop, who raised her flower with an air of victory. “Charge!” She shouted, 

The Sundrop split from the main group, racing up the main entrance, preparing herself to face Cassandra. She paused when she saw a shadow in the entrance to the fortress. “It’s over, Cassandra.” She said.

“Cassandra’s not here,” Lance emerged, scowling. “But I’m happy to take you down for her.” 

He charged, and the Sundrop just barely ducked out of the way. “She’s really not here? And she put you in charge?!”

“Yes!” Lance huffed. “Why is everyone so surprised by that?!”

The Sundrop whipped her hair out, but Lance caught it and threw her to the side. She yelped, and he stepped forward, but paused when a burst of magic hit him in the back of the head.

Eugene charged with a shout, clutching his staff tightly. He swung, but Lance dodged, catching the staff and twisting it so Eugene had to let go. He struck Eugene in the chest with it, and when the prince buckled from the blow, he grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hung him off the bridge.

The Sundrop jumped to her feet, but Lance shook his head. “I wouldn’t,” He said. “Stay where you are, or we’ll find out if Sparkles has enough magic to land on his feet. Like I said, Cassandra-ow!”

Eugene punched Lance in the face, squirming and fighting. “Hey!” Lance scowled. “You don’t hit the person dangling you over a ledge!”

Eugene threw blinding light into Lance’s face, and Lance threw him with a yelp, and he crashed into the Sundrop. “Eugene?! Are you okay?!”

“How’s that for improvising?” Eugene grinned. “Also, it’s your turn because I’m out of magic.”

“Cassandra trusts-” Lance stepped forward, but froze when he nearly got a free nose piercing from an arrow. “Okay, how many of you are there?!”

He whirled around and froze when he saw the Royal Alliance staring at him, battle ready. “Oh…” He stepped back. “Too many.”

*** *** ***

“That was awesome!” Pascal cheered.

“Good planning session.” Eugene elbowed the Sundrop, who smiled.

“Thanks guys.” She let out a breath, relieved.

Lance scowled as he watched the royals celebrate from a retreating ship. “All in favor of blaming this on Kyle?” He asked, and everyone raised their hand.

Kyle groaned. “Aw, man…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh not my old hyperfixation of coco resurfacing to swallow me whole oh god


	5. Krestin Lock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY 10TH TANGLED ANNIVERSARY. I KNOW IT WAS YESTERDAY BUT STILL. OH GOD

The wind howled like a beast, whipping snow across the frozen wasteland as though it had a personal vendetta. The cold was nearly tangible, so starkly different from the shelter of the dinky Horde base that it knocked one’s breath away if they dared to step outside.

The cold and wind didn’t bother Varian, and he tapped away on a keyboard, heedless of his numb fingers. He heard someone shuffle behind him. “Hey, Cassie!” He grinned, seeing the Force Captain standing behind him, rubbing her arms. “Did you have a nice nap?”

“Why is this taking so long?” Cassandra snapped. “You said there was a First Ones weapon here. Where is it?”

“I never said weapon,” Varian paused. “I said there’s a piece of First Ones tech buried beneath the ice. And a really powerful one at that! The energy levels indicated it must be part of some kind of super computer!”

“Just keep digging,” Cassandra said shortly. “Hector’s not gonna be happy if we waste his time and come back empty-handed.”

“A scientist never returns empty handed!” Varian said gleefully. “There’s alway data!”

“I’m not here for data,” Cassandra said. “Find me something useful, or we’re packing up and going home. This place gives me the creeps.”

And right outside, a creep scuttled on insectoid legs, lurking in the icy abyss, waiting for a moment to strike.

*** *** ***

“The _Dragon’s Daughter Five_ cuts a fine line on the sea, does she not?” Sea Hawk asked, running his hand up the railing of his ship with a pleased smile.

“What happened to number four?” Pascal asked, and perked up. “Oh oh oh! Was it an adventure?!”

“Termites,” Sea Hawk said sadly. “Couldn’t save the old girl. Anyway!” He turned to Pascal, Eugene, and the Sundrop. “I’m honored to be a part of another daring mission for the Rebellion.”

“Well,” The Sundrop said a bit awkwardly. “We need a boat to get up here, and you have a boat, so…”

“Yes I do!” Sea Hawk agreed. “Truth be told, I needed something to do. Stalyan cancelled our plans this weekend, she’s hanging out with friends and didn’t invite me to join, so…”

“Stalyan has friends?” Eugene asked, looking miserable in the cold but pleased to jab at his ex. He sighed. “We’ve received reports of Horde activity in the Krestin Lock. I don’t know why anyone would ever want to come up here, but they’ve set up an outpost in this awful freezing hellscape and it's our job to find out why.”

“There’s nothing up here but snow and ice,” Pascal said. “What could they possibly be doing?”

“No idea,” The Sundrop said. “But it can’t be good.”

*** *** ***

“Lance, good, you’re here.” Cassandra said, digging through a crate.

“Yes, I am!” Lance said brightly, though it was slightly forced. 

“Varian brought all this junk from his lab,” She said grumpily. “Help me find a space heater or something since we apparently live here now.”

“So…” Lance said, sounding unsure. “I’ve been thinking. And I know you’re really busy and focused on your career lately, but would you ever want to, you know...hang out sometime?”

“What are you talking about?” Cassandra glanced back. “We’re hanging out. Right now.”

“Yes, totally, totes,” Lance said, and then frowned. “But I meant like...outside office hours, y’know? We could...you know, play a board game or something.” He leaned lazily against a crate, and jumped when his weight upset it. “Whoops! My bad-”

Cassandra wasn’t paying attention, suddenly focused on the tiny red crystal that had fallen out of the crate. She picked it up, puzzled, and jumped when Varian suddenly appeared and snatched it from her.

“Ah! Careful! That’s a very rare, First Ones artifact!” He said. “I’ve been meaning to study it, but I haven’t had the chance. The last time I deployed it, it ended up infecting all my bots with a murder-virus.”

Cassandra blinked. “You brought a murder-virus but not a blanket?!”

“It’s not just a murder-virus,” Varian shook his head as if Cassandra were foolish. “It infected the Sundrop, and she lost her powers, for example. And she got all floppy.”

Cassandra’s eyes widened, and her face slowly stretched into a smile. “A Sundrop off switch, huh? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“W-well, we don’t know if it’s dangerous.” Varian said.

“I sure hope it’s dangerous.” Cassandra said evenly.

“So in non-Sundrop related business,” Lance interjected. “Is that a yes or no on the board game or…?”

Cassandra opened her mouth, but a high-pitched alarm suddenly blared, flashing red. Varian suddenly looked shifty. “Oh, whoops.”

“Whoops?” Cassandra repeated. “What’s whoops?”

“Nothing!” Varian said too quickly. “I’m sure it’s nothing, just a small bump! But...the drilling bots have gone offline. All of them. At once. Which...usually doesn’t happen.”

Cassandra looked like she wanted to hit someone.

“We should go check it out, come on!” Varian ducked past her, running to the exit. 

*** *** ***

“Come to think of it,” Sea Hawk shouted, his voice barely audible over the wind. “Stalyan never invites me to hang out with her other friends! I mean, am I not cool enough for them? I’m so cool! I’m Sea Hawk!”

The Sundrop ignored him, but paused when she noticed something in the snow, kneeling down to investigate. Eugene glanced back at her. “What’s wrong? See something?”

“No...I think there’s something else out here.” She said.

“They say all sorts of strange things happen in the Krestin Lock,” Sea Hawk said dramatically. “Voices in the wind. Monsters in the snow. Machines break down. Sailors disappear without a trace. We could be next!” He paused. “I am cool, right?”

“Great,” Eugene said. “As if snow wasn’t bad enough, now this place is apparently haunted.”

Pascal frowned, looking down at his pad. “My tracker pad’s been on the fritz ever since that rogue communications hub messed with it. I’m having trouble pinpointing the Horde’s location.”

“Worry not. We’ll follow our instincts!” Sea Hawk said grandly. He pointed. “This way!”

The tracker pad beeped amiably. “Or there’s this new signal,” Pascal said. “Looks like First Ones tech. A big signature.”

“That’s where the Horde will be.” The Sundrop said.

*** *** ***

“Well, we know why the bots went offline,” Varian said, leaning over the railway, seeming not to notice the biting wind. “They’re all gone.”

“What?” Lance stared into the pit. “They just disappeared into thin air?”

“Maybe there’s scientific truth to the rumors about strange happenings in this region.” Varian said slowly.

“We weren’t sent here for rumors!” Cassandra snapped. “Hector wants tech. If your bots can’t dig it out, then maybe I’ll send you down there to-”

“Cassandra.”

Cassandra whirled around, only vaguely surprised to see the Sundrop and her little pair of new friends, plus that guy who set a boat on fire. The Sundrop scowled. “It’s been a while.”

“Hey, Raps.” Cassandra smiled.

“You’re pretty far from the front lines,” The Sundrop said. “I guess Gothel’s keeping you away from the action since you lost the battle of Corona.”

“Gothel?” Cassandra chuckled. “Wow, I always forget how clueless you are.”

“We’re here to take back this land,” The Sundrop gathered her hair, adjusting her stance. “Time for you to go back to the Fright Zone.”

“You want us to go?!” Cassandra yanked out her dagger. “Try and make us!”

The two charged each other, once again battling it out in their own little world. Pascal prepped an arrow, Eugene’s hands began to glow, and Sea Hawk swished his rapier. “Adventure!”

Lance sighed. “That’s not how today was supposed to go…” He charged Eugene, throwing him over the side of the railing, though the prince was able to teleport to safety. But not before seeing eyes in the pit.

“Hey, while we’re here,” Sea Hawk said, parrying Lance. “Would you describe me as cool right now? Be honest.”

“Potentially!” Lance decided.

“Whoops, time to go.” Varian decided, starting to run to fire up some backup robots, but Pascal started chasing him.

“Varian, whatever you’re doing, it needs to stop now!” The archer shouted. “You don’t understand the forces you’re messing with!”

“I will!” Varian said. 

The Sundrop threw a loop of her hair out, tangling Cassandra up. The latter fell with a yelp, and the Sundrop stood over her, fists glowing dangerously. “Don’t move!”

Cassandra laughed. “Oh please. You don’t have the guts.”

The Sundrop was still.

“You know, as much as I love our fights, I’m not really in the mood for it right now,” Cassandra said. “Why don’t we try something new?”

She moved too fast, yanking the red crystal out of her pocket and pressing it against the Sundrop’s hair. The Sundrop stumbled back immediately with a cry of surprise, but it was too late. The flower tucked behind her ear wilted, turning a dull red glow. She cried out again, clutching her head as if in pain.

“What did you do?!” Eugene suddenly appeared beside Cassandra, looking horrified. 

The Sundrop suddenly sprang at them with a shriek, her eyes completely dark except for an eerie green pupil. Her hair grew dark and black, and Cassandra only just managed to dodge the very real, very deadly blow. Eugene disappeared when the Sundrop turned on him.

“You said she’d be powerless!” Cassandra said, diving for cover with Varian and Lance.

“She will be!” Varian said. “Eventually. I think.”

“Actually,” Cassandra said, watching the Sundrop try to best to murder Eugene as he popped around her, just out of reach. “This is pretty cool too.”

“Rapunzel, I know you’re in there, snap out of it!” Eugene said desperately, panting.

She managed to get a blow in, throwing him back roughly. She turned to him, but was suddenly pinned by a net arrow. “What just happened?!” Sea Hawk asked, rushing to Eugene.

The Sundrop escaped the net, rushing them, and Eugene grabbed Sea Hawk, teleporting several yards away, feeling dangerously dizzy by this point. The Sundrop stomped, and the ice suddenly cracked, tilting under their feet. 

“Eugene-” Pascal shouted, but it was too late. Pascal, Eugene, and Sea Hawk tumbled into the abyss.

*** *** ***

Cassandra smiled, staring at the momentarily still, dark Sundrop. “This is great!”

As if to challenge her, the Sundrop suddenly turned, a murderous dark look settled on her. Cassandra blinked, and then suddenly the Sundrop was upon her, giving her less than a second to dodge out of the way.

She started to turn away, but the Sundrop grabbed her, tossing her like a ragdoll across the tundra. Cassandra yelped, seeing the Sundrop suddenly above her again, fists clenched.

“Rapunzel, wait-” Cassandra tried to scramble back, but this time, her friend meant it.

“Stay away from her!” Lance tackled the Sundrop, and the flower suddenly fell loose from her hair. The Sundrop disappeared, and Rapunzel was back, normal and limp.

Cassandra gasped, staring at the wilted flower. “Oh, I get it!” Varian said. “The flower is infected, not Rapunzel herself!”

“Cassandra, are you okay?!” Lance asked.

Cassandra smiled, picking up the flower. “That went so much better than I could have ever hoped!” She poked Rapunzel’s face, but she didn’t move, eyes closed. “Looks like you’re mine now, Rapunzel. Come on, let’s go inside.”

And none of them saw the creature scuttle behind them, dark red lines creeping up its body. 

*** *** ***

“Is everyone okay?” Pascal asked, wriggling out of the thick snow that had only just barely saved them from the fall.

“Well,” Sea Hawk said, looking quite put out. “I for one am shocked and terrified. What happened up there?!”

“It’s Varian’s disk,” Eugene said. “It infected the Sundrop once before. We’ve got to get to Cassandra and destroy it for good.”

“Okay,” Sea Hawk grinned. “Let’s go, Eugene. Teleport us up there. Adventure!”

“I can’t,” Eugene groaned. “I exhausted my magic in the fight. Until I can recharge, we’re climbing.”

Sea Hawk frowned. “That’s terribly inconvenient. Shouldn’t you keep track or something?”

Eugene scowled, but started following Sea Hawk up the steep ravine. “I hope Cassandra survives the Sundrop so I can wipe that smug look off her face myself.”

*** *** ***

“Always so perfect,” Cassandra said, gloating to the unconscious Rapunzel. “And look at you now. You’re coming back to the Horde under my command.”

Lance blinked. “So we’re...keeping her?”

“You saw her out there,” Cassandra said. “As long as we have the flower, we have the power to make her go berserk. We can turn the Rebellion’s own hero against them!”

“It looks like the bots were able to pinpoint the location of the First Ones’ tech before they disappeared,” Varian said, not taking his eyes off his screen. “If you just give me a little more time…”

“Ugh,” Cassandra scowled at him. “This mission is over, kid. We have what we need right here.” She waved the wilted flower. “Pack it up, we’re going back to the Fright Zone.”

Varian frowned. “But Hector wanted us too-”

“Oh, what?” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Dig a useless hole? Forget it. I’m bringing the Sundrop back.”

An alarm suddenly blared, flashing red light across the room. Lance and Varian jumped, but Cassandra merely sighed. “I’ll go. It’s probably just more rebel idiots. Lance, keep an eye on Rapunzel.” She ducked out before Lance could respond.

“Uh, sure, yeah,” Lance nodded. “I will absolutely look after this sleeping, not moving person.”

“She went that way.” Varian pointed, and Lance blinked, realizing Rapunzel was gone.

“Thanks, kid.” Lance said, and set off after her. 

*** *** ***

Lance sighed, having little success in finding Rapunzel. “Just wanted a moment with Cassandra,” He grumbled. “But instead, I’m stuck watching her ex-best friend.”

There was a loud crash, and Lance whirled around, seeing a shadow lunge towards him-and hit him over the head with a wet mop. Rapunzel laughed as though it was the funniest thing in the world, stumbling by him. 

“Eugh,” Lance said. “Uh...you okay, Rapunzel?”

Rapunzel made a face, thinking hard. “Wow,” She said. “You are really tall.” She collapsed, giggling vaguely.

“Yep, that’s true,” Lance said, grabbing her arm. “Glad to see you’re seeing clearly. Now come on, we’re going back to the lab.” He paused at the keypad. “Ugh, what was the code again?”

“Boop!” Rapunzel’s hand shot out and pressed a button. “Boop boop, boop boop!” She said again, pressing several more buttons.

“Hey, stop!” Lance said, but Rapunzel managed to wriggle away from him, laughing hysterically. 

“Boop!” Rapunzel pressed one more button, and Lance picked her up and set her back.

“Why are you making this so much harder for me?!” Lance asked, feeling desperate. “Please, I’m a man on the edge here! I’ve had a real challenge of a day!”

Rapunzel smiled vaguely, and stumbled forward, pressing several more buttons before Lance could stop her. “Bwomp!” She said happily, and the door buzzed and opened.

Lance paused. “How did you do that?”

“I put in Cass’ favorite number.” Rapunzel giggled.

Lance groaned. “I get it. You know Cassandra’s favorite number, and I don’t. Rub it in my face, why don’t you?”

There was a screech from behind him like metal being violently torn away, and Lance turned to see the tunnel leading from here to the next bubble of the Horde camp had been violently torn away. 

Rapunzel squealed happily, stumbling into the snow and sticking out her tongue. She didn’t notice the massive silhouette of a monster pass by, only to pause when it saw her. A low snarl echoed across the wasteland. 

Lance yelped, grabbing her and rushing back into the room. He punched in the emergency code, grateful he remembered that one. The extra door-solid iron-closed, and he turned to Rapunzel nervously. “Change of plans, how about we stay inside instead?”

“Woo!” Rapunzel said, slurring slightly. “Party for two!”

*** *** ***

“Any sign of the Sundrop?” Pascal called up when Eugene managed to scramble over the cliff edge. “Preferably the version that won’t kill us all?”

“Uh,” Eugene said, sounding scared. “No Sundrop. Just a snow monster!”

A gangly monster with a snake-like body and spindly legs circled the Horde camp, and the group froze when a shadow fell over them. A second monster-eyes oddly black, veins spreading from it-screamed at them.

“Run!”

*** *** ***

“Ugh,” Lance glared at Rapunzel. “I can’t believe I’m stuck in here with you. I should be by Cassandra’s side, helping her. Why can’t you just stay out of our way?!”

The door opened, and Lance stepped back, shocked. “Cassandra?!”

The door closed, and someone stumbled inside just before it slammed on them. They were panting, and Lance paused. “Inspector Pirate?” Rapunzel waved.

Sea Hawk looked up, and grinned. “Rapunzel! I’m here to rescue you!”

“Uh…” Rapunzel snickered. “More like I’m here to rescue you.” She started laughing again, unable to stop.

Sea Hawk paused. “That doesn’t make any sense,” He said. “Is she alright?”

“I dunno,” Lance shrugged. “But she is getting on my last nerve. And she’s not going anywhere.”

“We’ll see about that!” Sea Hawk leapt forward, grabbing Rapunzel’s other arm and trying to tug her away. Lance yanked back. 

“Aw,” Rapunzel said, apparently fine with being fought over like a toy. “You guys are my best friends!”

*** *** ***

Cassandra jumped when the alarm suddenly went silent, and she tensed, waiting for an attack.

She got one. The metal above her suddenly cracked, and there was a loud growl from just beyond it. She stepped back, reaching for her dagger. 

“I can’t stand this place.” She decided, and made a break back for the lab.

“What’s happening?!” She demanded, seeing Varian look almost frantic. “Why is the power going out?!”

“Uh…” He clicked a button, and Cassandra said static-y footage of furious, dark-eyed monsters. “I guess by drilling into the ice, we released these monsters…? And now they want to kill us?”

“Are you serious?!” Cassandra snapped.

“I didn’t mean to!”

*** *** ***

“Where did these things come from?!” Eugene asked, crouching with Pascal behind a snowbank. 

“Probably from the pit that Varian dug.” Pascal whispered, watching a monster circle the Horde camp. 

Eugene peeked over the side, and froze. “Their eyes! They’re dark, like the Sundrop’s! The monsters must be infected too! Ugh! Cassandra’s the worst…”

Eugene paused in his rant when a shadow suddenly fell over him and Pascal. A monster stared down at them, dark eyes devoid of any emotion, but that only made it scarier. 

“Think you have one more teleport left?” Pascal asked.

“Hope so!” Eugene grabbed his arm and flashed away.

*** *** ***

Varian paused, unsure what to do when Eugene and Pascal suddenly appeared in the lab.

“-how could you be so absent minded-are you listening to me?!” Cassandra demanded, not seeing the rebel soldiers behind her. “What are you looking at?!”

“Uh…” Varian pointed, and Cassandra whirled.

Eugene and Pascal glanced at each other, looking equally unsure. “So,” Eugene coughed. “Snow, right?”

And then all hell broke loose.

*** *** ***

“Let her go!” Sea Hawk demanded, still tugging on Rapunzel.

“No!” Lance snapped. “Cassandra entrusted me with watching her, I can’t let her down!”

“Cassandra…” Rapunzel said, and then frowned. “She’s mean.”

“She’s misunderstood!” Lance snapped. “You of all people should understand that! I mean, you grew up together! I can’t compete with that!”

Lance suddenly deflated, as if this admission sucked the fight out of him. He dropped Rapunzel’s arm. “Oh, thanks,” Rapunzel said listlessly. “Didn’t wanna say anything, but that kinda hurt…”

“No matter what I do, I can’t seem to break down her walls,” Lance said. “But you two...even when you’re trying to kill each other, you can tell there’s a real bond! I just…” He sighed, sitting down on one of the crates. “I wish she would see me as being worth her time, too.”

“I…” Sea Hawk’s heart swelled with emotion. “I know how you feel.”

*** *** ***

“Always great to see you, Sparkles,” Cassandra said, perched on top of crates. “But we’re a little busy here!”

“Where’s the disc, Cassandra?!” Eugene demanded. 

“What?” Cassandra smiled. “You didn’t like my new, improved version of the Sundrop?”

“Varian, please,” Pascal said, glancing to the alchemist-robotics extraordinaire. “Look who you’re working with! Look at what’s happening! Those monsters outside are infected with the same virus as the Sundrop.”

“Sorry, I thought the guy who abandoned me said something,” Varian said, and then immediately took what the guy who abandoned him said into account. “That can’t be right, though. The virus only affects First Ones tech. Unless…” He gasped. “The bugs are First Ones tech!”

*** *** ***

“I mean,” Sea Hawk told Lance. “Just once I’d like to hang out with Stalyan and her friends! I’m good at groups! I have derring-do stories! Why don’t they want me around?”

“I hear you,” Lance nodded. “Cassandra’s been so busy since she got promoted! But she still expects me to make time for her. Does she even understand how much I do for her?”

“Exactly!” Sea Hawk said. “It’s like the only time anyone ever wants to hang is when they need me to give them a ride or do something for them!”

“Tell me about it!” Lance huffed. “If I had a dollar for everytime Cassandra needed me to get something from the top shelf for her or something…” He chuckled, and then frowned. “Is there...something wrong with us?”

Sea Hawk went quiet, looking unsure.

“Y’know,” Rapunzel said, slurring badly. “You guys…’r really great…j’s like...the best...you’re good friends, n’ good people!” She giggled. “I like you.” She decided. 

“You know what?” Sea Hawk said. “She’s right. We are great! I'm a clever, roguishly good-looking, top-notch sailor! I don’t care if anyone thinks I’m cool! I don’t need their opinions to validate me. I’m Sea Hawk!”

“And me?” Lance stood up. “I am brave, strong, loyal, and I give great hugs!” He turned to Rapunzel. “You may have left Cassandra, but someday she’s gonna see that I won’t. I’ll always be there for her, because that’s who I am!”

“Yay!” Rapunzel clapped.

“And I’m also someone who’s about to go kick some bug butt!” Lance said.

“Let’s show them what we’re made of!” Sea Hawk cheered.

*** *** ***

The compound rumbled, and Eugene nearly fell. “We have to destroy the disc, or none of us are getting out!” 

“Huh, guess I lost it.” Cassandra shrugged.

“I thought it was in your pocket?” Varian asked.

Cassandra groaned, but didn’t have time to reprimand Varian before the monster suddenly burst through the room, screeching loudly. Cassandra fell with a loud yelp, and the monster hissed at her. 

The monster tried to wriggle through the hole in the wall, but suddenly jerked back with a screech when a green laser beam hit it. “For the Horde!” Lance shouted, rushing forward, dragging Rapunzel.

“I don’t agree with the sentiment,” Sea Hawk said, his glowing rapier drawn. “But I’m also here!”

Lance let go of Rapunzel, and she stumbled to Eugene. “Hey, I know you!”

“Rapunzel!” Eugene grinned. “You’re okay!”

“Cassandra,” Lance skidded to a stop next to her. “Are you alright?!”

“Just find the flower!” She snapped. “I’ve got Rapunzel.”

She darted forward, but Eugene tackled her, the two desperately trying to either keep the chip or take it away. It flew out of Cassandra’s grip, and she threw the prince to the side roughly to make a desperate dive for it. 

“Just give us the disc!” Eugene gasped.

“Are you kidding?!” Cassandra scoffed. “I’ve got control of Rapunzel! I am not giving that up!”

The monster suddenly turned on her, and Cassandra shrieked, sprinting as the monster snapped at her heels. 

“Cassandra, you have to destroy the disc, it’s the only way to stop them!” Pascal shouted.

“Cassandra!” Lance sprinted towards her, snatching the disc from her before she could react.

“Lance, are you crazy?!” Cassandra shrieked. “Don’t you dare!”

“Break it, or we’ll all die!” Eugene shouted.

“Ah…!” Lance gripped the disc tightly, conflicted.

“It seems to me,” Sea Hawk said, smiling slightly as if he already knew the outcome. “That caring about someone is the greatest adventure of all.”

“What?” Eugene asked, but Lance nodded.

“Sorry, wildcat,” He looked at Cassandra. “This is for your own good.” He snapped the disc in two, ignoring Cassandra’s furious wail.

The monster’s eyes went from dark black to a sky blue, and it shook its head as if confused. After a moment, it scuttled out the hole in the roof, snorting loudly. 

Rapunzel sat up, rubbing her temples. “What happened?”

Cassandra jumped to her feet, but yelped when Lance grabbed her and Varian, sprinting out of the room. “Put me down!”

But they were already gone.

*** *** ***

“What are you so happy about?!” Cassandra snapped, her hair blowing from the wind as the escape skiff zoomed across the Krestin Lock. “The Sundrop won. We didn’t get what we came here for. The mission was a failure! How are we going to explain this to Hector?!”

“Failure?” Varian grinned. “The mission was a resounding success!” He ducked behind a crate, and rolled out a massive, circular disc covered in unintelligible writing. “Ta-da! I got the First Ones’ tech!”

“What?!” Cassandra blinked. “How long have you had that?!”

“A while…” Varian said guiltily. “But the bugs were really cool, and I wanted to stay for that.” He smiled widely at the disc. “Isn’t it amazing?! This puppy’ll be enough to power Hector’s portals and then some!”

Still chattering, Varian rolled the disc away, tripping over crates.

Cassandra sighed. “Hey,” She glanced at Lance. “Thanks...for getting us out.”

“Anytime.” Lance smiled widely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shit im running seriously low on my pre-written chapters and i dont have time to write new ones rn oh god


	6. Light Spinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god i love writing gothel

A golden phoenix soared proudly through the halls of Mystacor before swooping upwards once it reached the open air, guided expertly by Light Spinner’s careful hands. The two sorcerers at her side ooh-ed appropriately. 

A young boy made a face of immense concentration, spreading his arms out. A glowing blue circle with runes that only few could read and even fewer could control appeared in front of him, and he grinned, pleased with his success. A blue ram jumped from his spell circle, diving into the golden phoenix, causing it to fall apart into twinkling shards. 

Light Spinner blinked, frowning slightly as she approached the boy. The boy’s proud expression disappeared, and he smiled guiltily. “Um…”

As if to show herself off, Light Spinner resummoned the phoenix, ten times its original size now. It screeched, a bit more war-like than majestic, and swooped down over the boy’s ram, easily overtaking it. 

“Impressive casting, Edmund,” Light Spinner said. “But you allowed yourself to become distracted. Once again.”

“Oooh…” The other young sorcerers in attendance snickered at the light reprimand, and Edmund turned red.

“You can’t expect me to out-cast Light Spinner!” He protested. “The greatest sorcerer to ever walk the halls of Mystacor!”

Light Spinner did not do well at hiding her pleasure at the praise. Vanity was one of her biggest vices, and it wasn’t a secret. All the same, she merely chuckled slightly at Edmund’s flattery. “If you’re going to interrupt my lesson, you might at least apply yourself. I want focus as you conjure illusions.”

The other two sorcerers immediately concentrated on creating light circles, but Edmund frowned. “I’ve been doing light illusions since before I can even remember!”

Light Spinner ignored him, helping one sorcerer finish the path, nodding when her circle lit up in success. “Teach me something real!” Edmund said excitedly. “I wanna levitate, travel through mirrors, and shapeshift! You know, cool stuff!”

Light Spinner sighed. “The Guild forbids third-years from learning such things. You know that, Edmund.”

“You mean, Lord Demanitus prides himself on being an out-of-touch geezer.” Edmund said, counting a victory when Light Spinner smiled at the jab. 

“Patience, Edmund,” Light Spinner said. “You must start at the beginning.”

*** *** ***

“Lord Hector-” Cassandra gasped, suddenly kneeling.

She had never seen Hector without his armor off. His yellow eyes were still angry and terrifying, but without the bulky metal he looked...small. Frail, even. It surprised her, and she couldn’t quite decide what to make of it yet. 

Hector backed into the shadows. “Why is Gothel still in the Fright Zone?”

“She’s…” Cassandra said, and paused for a split second as she wasn’t sure what to say. “She’s my prisoner.”

“A dangerous one,” Hector snarled. “I want her sent to Tarapati Island at once.”

“What?!” Cassandra shot to her feet. “Lord Hector, Gothel is still useful if we can get her to talk. She knows more about Etheria than anyone else!”

_Why am I defending her?! I should be celebrating!_

“And also more about the Fright Zone,” Hector said. “Have you considered the consequences if that information were to fall into the wrong hands?”

“That won’t happen,” Cassandra assured him. “Without the Black Garnet, she’s completely powerless. I can handle her-”

The lights suddenly flickered, and Cassandra tensed, ready for a blow from an intruder. Or Hector, it didn’t seem unlikely-

The lights came on immediately afterwards, and she paused, seeing Varian fiddling with wires. “Oh, hi, Cassie!” He waved. “Whatcha doing here?”

“I’m a Force Captain,” She said blandly. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been integrating the First Ones’ tech we got from the Krestin Lock into Hector’s portal mainframe!” He shuffled. “But it maybe slightly, kind of, completely overloaded the Fright Zone energy grid. So that’s something to fix…”

“What Varian is doing does not concern you, Force Captain,” Hector snapped. “You have two days to extract whatever information you can from the prisoner. Then you will banish her to Tarpati Island.”

“But-” Cassandra started, but his yellow eyes suddenly met her’s with a warning.

“Do you understand?!” Hector snarled. “Or do I have to make myself understood?”

Cassandra deflated. “No, Lord Hector. I understand.”

“Good,” Hector nodded. “Dismissed.”

*** *** ***

Gothel’s food tray was, humiliatingly, just out of reach.

Glancing up to make sure no one was watching, she reached out, flicking her finger to bring it to herself. Nothing happened. She tried again, concentrating, imagining the feeling of magic-real magic-flowing through her with ease and no difficulty, though it had been so long since she used her own magic. 

She frowned at her own weakness, and then frowned further at the constant ache that reminded her how far gone she was, how impossibly weak she was without the Garnet, and how strong she was with it. The magic was there, but inaccessible without assistance.

But no one would assist her here.

*** *** ***

Edmund gasped as the gem traveled across the table as if pulled by an invisible thread. “You actually moved it!” He looked at Light Spinner, eyes shining. “How?!”

“There’s magic everywhere,” Light Spinner said. “The Royals channel powerful elemental magic through their Runestones. But sorcerers can learn to channel lesser power through spells and incantations. After many years of serious study and discipline. Serious, Edmund.”

“I heard you the first time, don’t worry about me!” He grinned. “Totally serious, this is my serious face.”

“Mhm,” Light Spinner chuckled. “The Guild brings those who have a talent for magic to study here in Mystacor. But I only train the truly gifted.”

She waved her hand, and the gem began to move across the table again. “You’re one of the most talented students I’ve ever seen. But you lack dedication.”

“I’ll prove to you I’m worthy!” Edmund said immediately. “Look, see?” He reached out to try and move the gem, but Light Spinner shook her head.

“Not yet,” She said. “First, you must promise to do exactly as I say.”

It was funny, really, how many bad things, and also many good things, came out of Edmund’s careless, childish nod, only eager to prove himself.

*** *** ***

“Impossible!” Light Spinner exploded suddenly when Edmund completed the rune spell and it lit up. The boy jumped, scared of his mentor’s uncharacteristic fury. “Who else has been teaching you?!” She demanded.

“N-no one!” Edmund said, backing up. “Did I do something wrong?”

Light Spinner blinked, relaxing. “No…” she said slowly. “I knew you were gifted, I just...didn’t realize how gifted. You have incredible power.”

_And I will be the one to mold that power._

“So…” Edmund still looked nervous. “Does that mean you’ll keep teaching me?”

“Of course,” Light Spinner smiled, saccharine and sweet. “We’re going to do great things together, Edmund. Great things.”

“Yes!” Edmund cheered, and then coughed, embarrassed by his outburst. “I mean...thank you, Light Spinner.”

“The Guild needs talents like our’s more than ever before,” Light Spinner said. “Perhaps-no…” She shook her head. “You’re not ready.”

“I know I have a lot to learn, but I’m ready for anything!” Edmund said brightly. “What is it?”

Light Spinner paused, and then leaned over the basin in the Lunarium. “Show me.” She commanded it. 

The basin lit up, and rippled to show an image steeped in red. Tanks-metallic monsters-shooting down anything that moved in Etheria, carving out a hole into the peaceful planet to serve their own purpose. Edmund’s eyes widened. “It’s awful,” He said. “Why would you conjure this?”

“It’s no illusion,” Light Spinner said darkly. “It’s really happening. An army has invaded our lands. They call themselves the Horde. The Royals have proved ineffective against their strength. They’ve accomplished much in a short time; more than our so-called leaders have.”

“We have to do something!” Edmund said, looking startled.

“Easy, Edmund,” Light Spinner said. “The Sorcerer’s Guild meets tomorrow to decide a course of action. I have a plan to give us the power we need to stop the Horde. I only hope that Demanitus and his followers can see the threat as clearly as you do.”

“You’ll make them see!” Edmund said with all the confidence in the world. “If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

*** *** ***

“How’d you find me?” Cassandra asked Lance, glancing at him from her seat high above the Fright Zone.

“You always come here when you’re upset,” Lance said. “Also, I looked everywhere. Now, what’s troubling my bestie?”

“I’m not your bestie, and I’m fine.” Cassandra said.

“Oh, I don’t accept any of that.” Lance decided. 

“Yeah, well, get used to not getting what you want in life!” Cassandra snapped. She blinked, and then sighed, seemingly regretting her outburst. “Hector is making me send Gothel to Tarapati Island.”

“Wait, Tarapati Island is real?” Lance looked surprised. “I thought it was just a story to keep us in line. Being sent there is supposed to be a fate worse than death!” He paused, realizing his candid nature wasn’t doing any favors. “I-I bet there’s some nice stuff too! Gothel can write and tell us about it.”

“What is wrong with you?!” Cassandra glared at him. “People don’t send letters from Tarapati Island! They go, and they never come back! It doesn’t matter how hard I work or what I do, Hector doesn’t trust me. He never listens to me. Gothel is useful and she can help us?”

“Seriously?” Lance blinked. “Because she hasn’t given us, like, any information. Why do you really wanna keep her around? She’s not very nice. I thought you hated her.”

“You…” Cassandra scowled. “You wouldn’t understand.”

She was gone before Lance could try to pry and deeper.

*** *** ***

“We can no longer stand by while the Horde conquers more and more territory!” Light Spinner declared. “The Royals have been unable to stop them, and now they have taken a Runestone-the Black Garnet.”

Horrified whispers broke out amongst the Guild, and Light Spinner pushed just a bit more. “We may not have Runestones, but there is a way that we can make ourselves strong enough to stand against the Horde.”

She reached forward, touching the water in the basin of the Lunarium. A strange, far too simple and symmetrical rune appeared. “Cast the Spell of Obtainment and take power for ourselves!”

Demanitus stood up, his one good eye narrowing. “What you propose is forbidden. The Spell of Obtainment leeches power, turning the caster into a magical parasite and in a perpetual state of decay. Assuming the spell doesn’t kill one outright.”

“But I’ve modified the spell,” Light Spinner protested. “Tonight, the three moons of enchantment come into alignment. This will make all the magic of Etheria stronger. Think of the good we could do!”

“There can be no good from this,” Demanitus said grimly. “The Royals will settle this problem.”

“The Royals have locked themselves in their castles! It’s up to us! You know I’m right!” Light Spinner said.

“I will hear no more of this,” Demanitus said. “You have always sought power, and now you are attempting to reach beyond what is meant for you.”

Light Spinner’s face burned. “How dare you-”

“Stop this,” Demanitus scolded. “Etheria will defend itself, as it has always done. There is no need for twisted magic.”

“You’re all blind.” Light Spinner hissed under her breath, but even as she said it, a plan began to form in her head.

*** *** ***

“What did they say?” Edmund demanded, racing after Light Spinner through the dark hallways.

“They refused to lend me their strength to do what must be done,” She growled. “They never listen to me! After everything I’ve done, everything I’ve sacrificed, I still haven’t earned their trust!”

She stopped suddenly, and Edmund nearly ran into her. “Demanitus and those fools don’t care about magic. They just want to hold the rest of us back!”

“Then...then go back and make them understand!” Edmund said. “The Horde will destroy Etheria if we don’t stop them.”

Light Spinner paused, struggling to regain control of herself. “If you want to help Etheria,” She said, careful to keep her voice hesitant. “There is another way.”

Edmund smiled.

*** *** ***

“Pack your bags!” Gothel opened her eyes at Cassandra’s voice, not bothering to scowl at her at this point. “You’re going to Tarapati Island.” Cassandra announced. 

“Oh, that’s right,” Cassandra smiled. “You don’t have anything.”

“When?” Gothel asked softly.

Cassandra frowned. “Don’t you care? It’s a death sentence. What don’t you get about that? You’re a goner unless you can give me a reason good enough to convince Hector that you’re worth keeping around. Don’t you have anything to say?! Just...give me something!”

“I’ve given everything I have to the Horde.” Gothel said in almost a whisper. 

“You really are useless,” Cassandra said, but her voice didn’t sound angry. “You’re getting what you deserve.”

“Wait.” Gothel said, and Cassandra froze in place as if stopped by magic.

“I know my days are numbered,” Gothel said. “I want to see my old Sorcerer’s Guild badge, one more time. It must be among my things. Bring it to me. It’s the last thing I will ever ask of you.”

Cassandra twitched, her face hidden. “You don’t get to ask things of me anymore.”

*** *** ***

“The Spell of Obtainment is difficult,” Light Spinner told Edmund. “You must remain focused. Once we begin casting, we cannot stop.”

“Are you sure about this?” Edmund asked, looking at the crystals around the dark Lunarium, every single one reflecting his nervous face and Light Spinner’s poised form.

“We need this power,” Light Spinner said. “It’s the only way to protect our people.”

After a moment, Edmund nodded, hesitant, but still trusting his idol and mentor. 

“Good,” Light Spinner nodded. “Do exactly as we practiced.”

They reached into the basin, carefully tracing the edges of it in unison. The Lunarium lit up as magic began to swirl in the water, and a rune took shape before appearing in the space of the room, humming with energy.

Edmund smiled, but it disappeared when a darkness began to spread through the rune in the air like poison. He looked to Light Spinner, but her expression was only more set than ever. Ugly cries and yells echoed from inside the rune, and the darkness became big hands, pressing at the sides of the rune in an effort to escape.

“Light Spinner, what’s happening?!” Edmund asked, suddenly sure this was a mistake. “What is that?”

“Hold it steady! Don’t stop now!” Light Spinner said, and Edmund continued casting, because the only thing worse than continuing this spell was letting those hands out. 

It was no use. The rune broke, and the gutteral noises became louder and angrier, and Edmund shrieked in alarm when one of the hands grabbed his arm and tried to pull him towards the writhing mass of darkness. Red eyes appeared out of it, staring at Edmund with pure malice and intent to hurt him.

Edmund lost his nerve, yanking away from the basin and stumbling down the ramp. “NO!” Light Spinner shouted, but with Edmund gone, the eyes focused on her. She fended them off the best she could, but the hands easily overpowered her, pulling her towards the darkness. 

“Light Spinner!” Edmund shouted, rushing forward to help her despite having no plan.

He wasn’t fast enough. The darkness swallowed Light Spinner, and then the entire room.

When Edmund could see again, he saw his mentor leaning over the basin, her cloak hood obscuring her. “Light Spinner!” He cried out again, and tried to rush forward, but there was some kind of force field around her, and it threw him back roughly.

Someone grabbed his arm to keep him from falling. “Edmund!” Demanitus said, looking furious. “What is the meaning of this?!”

“NO!” Edmund jumped at Light Spinner’s shriek, and felt sick. 

Her hair was rapidly greying, and she was hunched over as though unable to stand straight. She stumbled, seeing her reflection. A lined face weighed down with hard lines, gums swollen and teeth rotted away. “What have you done?!” She shouted, the eyes of her reflection wild and furious. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”

She wailed, pulling her cloak over her head. “Edmund, how could you?! After everything I taught you! The spell was working!”

“The spell was evil!” Edmund said, trying to tear his eyes away from Light Spinner, but was unable to do so. “You saw what it was doing to the room, to us!”

“I told you not to pursue this magic!” Demanitus stepped in front of Edmund. “Bringing you into our ranks was a grave mistake!”

“The only mistake was seeking approval from a fool like you!” She hissed, her voice sounding like a snake. “You’re all weak! None of you deserve my help!”

She caught sight of herself in the reflection of the crystals again, and shrieked, swiping her arm. The crystals exploded into sharp projectiles and blue smoke, and Demanitus and his sorcerers dodged, barely missing the attack.

Edmund shouted, begging for her not to do this, to stay, they could fix this if they just worked together.

But when the smoke cleared, she was gone. And he was abandoned.

*** *** ***

“Have you come up with anything to save your skin?” Cassandra asked, holding a new food tray.

“You know I haven’t.” Gothel said.

Cassandra dropped the tray at Gothel’s feet, and the old woman looked up. “Why do you insist on delivering my meals yourself? Surely, you have more important things to do.”

“I like seeing you in shackles.” Cassandra shrugged.

Gothel chuckled. “We both know that’s not the only reason. What do you want from me, Cassandra?”

Cassandra blinked, and for a moment, there was complete stillness. Cassandra was acutely aware their roles regarding power with each other had been twisted to the point of being completely unrecognizable to what they once were. If she killed Gothel right here, no one would say a word. 

But the thought of doing that made her sick. 

“Why…” Cassandra paused, and then continued in an impossibly small voice. “Why did you treat me the way you did? Why was I never good enough? Really, I want to know.”

Cassandra expected Gothel to berate her for her moment of weakness, tear her down and haunt her until her last possible moment. Instead, Gothel dropped her head, unwilling to meet her eyes. “Because you remind me of myself,” She said quietly. “You always have. Nothing was ever easy for me either. I wasn’t born to power like Rapunzel and the others. I had to earn my power. Fight for it. Why should it be any different for you?”

“I was a child when you took me in!” Cassandra said, her voice desperate for...for something. Something Rapunzel came close to, but never quite received either. “What did I do to deserve how you treated me?! I am nothing like you! You’re old, bitter, and weak!”

“Ah,” Gothel said, finally looking at Cassandra. “But you are like me. And just like me, you’re losing your position with Hector. I can see that even from my cell.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Cassandra snapped.

“You’re being pushed out.” Gothel said, as if explaining one plus one to a toddler.

“I am not!” Cassandra knelt down in front of Gothel. “It’s just that Varian understands this tech stuff better!” She paused, waiting for Gothel to pounce on her admission and tear her apart.

Instead, the old woman held out her hand. “Come here.”

After a moment, Cassandra scooted forward slightly. Gothel reached out, and Cassandra flinched, about to jerk away-

But instead Gothel touched her cheek gently, and Cassandra blinked, completely foreign to such affection. “He’s earned his trust,” Gothel said, running her fingers through Cassandra’s hair in a soothing manner. “How did you let this happen? Can’t you see? I want you to go further than I did, but you have to be smarter than me. Stronger than me.”

“Then help me,” Cassandra said, dangerously close to tears, leaning into Gothel’s kind words and hand. “Come up with something so you can stay, please!”

“I will try,” Gothel said, and pulled away, leaving Cassandra aching for more of the compassion she was sure even Rapunzel had not been shown. “But I’m tired now. Come back later. Please.”

After a long moment, Cassandra stood up, unable to stop herself from touching her cheek and smiling, her heart swelling with warmth at Gothel’s touch. 

Gothel waited for her to leave before smiling to herself when she saw the glint of her sorcerer’s badge hidden in her prison slop.

*** *** ***

Eighteen years prior, Light Spinner (No, Gothel. Light Spinner was weak and stupid, Gothel was strong and willing to do whatever it took to claw her way to the top, to hold onto the unblemished skin and thick hair the Black Garnet gave her, to clutch power with such a grip that it hurt) paused, hearing a baby cry.

The source of the crying was easy to find. A tiny baby with a wisp of dark hair was wailing while two burly Force Captains tried to calm her with little success. Hector sat on his throne, his frown only growing the longer the child cried. 

Gothel kneeled in front of him. “Was your excursion successful, my Lord?”

“I arrived too late,” Hector said, and glared at the baby. “I found something, but it's useless. Put it in the infirmary with the other orphans.”

The Force Captains nodded, relieved to be rid of the baby soon, and the child managed to catch Gothel’s gray eyes with her own bright green ones. Gothel couldn’t remember the last time she had seen color so vibrant.

“This one is different,” Gothel said softly. “Can you feel it? She has power.”

“Fine, take it!” Hector said, and the Force Captains shoved the baby in Gothel’s arms so suddenly she nearly dropped her. “Just get it out of here!”

Gothel held the baby close, and she paused in her cries, staring up at Gothel with her impossibly big green eyes. Hesitantly, with jerky movements, she reached out and grasped Gothel’s thumb.

Gothel smiled, rocking her. “Oh, don’t cry, darling,” She said softly. “You and I are going to do great things.”

The baby sputtered and smiled, unaware of the life she had just signed up for.

*** *** ***

“It’s time.” Gothel said to herself, knowing her internal clock well enough to trust that the moons were in alignment. With a lot of focus and luck, she just might be able to pull her plan off.

She cracked open her badge, and glowing blue dust spilled out. Feeling herself weakened even by holding it, she spread the dust into the shape of a shaky ruin, and closed her eyes, waiting.

Shadows leaked from the sand, and enveloped her. 

*** *** ***

Cassandra took a breath, steeling herself and drawing strength from the memory of Gothel’s softness. “Okay!” She stepped in front of the cell, hope rising in her throat when she saw Gothel standing, albeit facing away from her. “I know it hasn’t been that long, but I figured we could brainstorm. Together.”

Gothel didn’t move, and Cassandra sighed, stepping inside the cell. “Come on, two devious minds such as ours are-” She reached out, and her hand passed through Gothel.

She reeled back as though struck, and tried again. Once again her hand passed through the apparition of Gothel. The witch was no longer in the room. 

Cassandra felt the blood drain from her face, and felt as though she would pass out. “No.” She whispered. “No no no, no, you said...you said you wanted me to be better.”

The false Gothel did not move, and Cassandra felt the ghost of her touch on her cheek. But now the kindness felt rancid, as though something rotten had touched her and she allowed it, _enjoyed_ it, even.

“You used me. Again.” Cassandra said, and she drew her dagger and swiped at the apparition, and it burst into shadows.

Cassandra collapsed to the ground, feeling tears well up into her eyes before she could stop it, a mix of grief of what she thought she had, anger at Gothel for using her yet again, and a deep, sickening hatred for herself for allowing this to happen, for daring to hope that she might be first choice for once.

She _screamed_ , and when she couldn’t scream anymore, she sobbed and cursed Gothel in a raspy, broken voice.

But no one answered her. 

*** *** ***

“A little to the left.” Pascal said, staring at his data pad. Rapunzel edged to the corner of the castle turret, precariously balanced, clutching a signal receiver. 

“This good?” She called.

“Better,” Pascal shrugged. “Okay, Eugene, move your’s more to the right.”

Eugene flashed up on top of his turret, inched his receiver slightly to the right, and then teleported back to Pascal. He looked bored. 

“My right.” Pascal said, and Eugene groaned, but took the correction. 

“Why are we up on the roof in the middle of the night again?” Eugene yawned. “Sleep deprivation and teleporting don’t mix.”

“You’ve got the easy part!” Rapunzel said, a breeze away from a deadly fall.

“You know how I thought my data pad was broken in Zuhlberg?” Pascal asked. “Well, I’ve been studying it, and I realized the garbled static I’ve been getting on my screen isn’t a bug. It’s picking up some kind of transmission. With the three moons in alignment, the signal should be stronger. Rapunzel, higher and further out!”

“Are you serious?!” Rapunzel asked, but obeyed, inching even further over the edge.

Her foot slipped, and she shrieked, beginning to fall. “Hold still! It’s working!” Pascal said, too focused on his screen to notice Eugene teleport to save Rapunzel. 

“You guys gotta see this-guys?” Pascal paused, confused as to why there was suddenly no one around him. Eugene reappeared, holding onto Rapunzel tightly.

“Please tell me you got the message.” Rapunzel said.

“It’s degraded…” Pascal admitted, holding out his data pad. “Can you read any of it?” He held the message out to Rapunzel, and she paused.

“‘Serenia’, ‘portal’,” Rapunzel read aloud, and then paused. “‘Mara’...what’s a Serenia?”

“I don’t know,” Eugene frowned. “But...if it has to do with Mara, it can’t be good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really need to write for this because im almost out of pre written chapter but holy crap im studying too much


	7. Around the Bend and Home Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PASCAL'S DADS PASCAL'S DADS
> 
> just so you know, i had to change the names of one of his dads cause in the series his name is lance and we already have a lance so thats not gonna do it

Pascal sat on top of the turret overlooking Corona, but he was far too focused on his data pad to even consider taking in the view. 

“Serenia, portal, Mara…” Pascal told his tape recorder. “Maybe Mara’s last name is Serenia? Or the portal is Serenia?” He sighed. “I’m gonna be honest with you, Future Pascal. I got nothing.”

The pad suddenly buzzed red, and Pascal leapt to his feet with a shriek. “No no! It was today?! Oh no, this can’t be happening, not now!”

He was still panicking as he ran.

*** *** ***

“Blondie, get up!” Eugene shouted, teleporting into Rapunzel’s room.

Rapunzel jerked awake with a shriek, waving a knife. “Wozzat?! What’s happening?!”

“Do you sleep with a knife under your pillow?” Eugene blinked.

Rapunzel felt her face turn red. “What’s wrong?”

“Pascal,” Eugene said grimly. “Something’s wrong. His data pad and arrows are gone. Look what he left me!” He shoved a note into Rapunzel’s non-knife holding hand.

“This says ‘I’m fine. Don’t follow me.’” She said.

“Well, obviously, he’s not fine,” Eugene said as though it were clear. “If he was, he would have said he was leaving.”

“I mean…” Rapunzel paused. “I guess that’s true. Where does Pascal go when he’s not at Corona?”

Eugene was quiet for too long. Rapunzel raised her eyebrows. “How long have you two been friends?”

“Look, Pascal really values his privacy. He never talks about his past or where he came from. Never! And you know how chatty he is. Something has to be wrong? What if he’s in trouble? What if some dark secret from his past resurfaced and is out to get him?” Eugene said.

“Pascal with a dark past?” Rapunzel asked. “Do you hear yourself?”

“Come on, this is fishy. You can’t say that’s not true.” Eugene said.

Rapunzel slowly nodded. “Alright, be right there.”

*** *** ***

They had been tracking Pascal for an hour or so when they came across his quiver filled with trick arrows. Eugene frowned. “Pascal’d never leave these behind. I told you, he’s in trouble.”

Rapunzel paused, catching sight of something just beyond the trees. “What is that place?”

There was a massive building, intricate towers lining the edge and trees struggling to find a foothold inside. Eugene and Rapunzel looked at each other, stony-faced, and nodded.

Eugene teleported them inside, the room dark and vaguely dusty. “We have to find Pascal and get him out of this...um…” Eugene paused, noticing the shelves lining the walls, bursting with books. “Library?”

“Have you ever heard of a library in the Whispering Woods?” Rapunzel asked, examining an ancient looking vase that sat inside a glass display. 

Eugene opened his mouth, but froze when the door suddenly opened, tensing for a fight. 

Pascal walked in, arms filled with books, looking dejected. His expression immediately turned to shock when he saw Rapunzel and Eugene. “Pascal!” Eugene said, looking relieved. “You’re alright!”

“We’re here to break you out, or fight your kidnappers, or-why are you shushing me?” Rapunzel asked when Pascal dropped the books and waved for them to stop, looking desperate. 

“Are…” Eugene blinked. “Are you wearing a sweater vest?!”

“No.” Pascal said, turning red because he very much was wearing a plain brown sweater vest instead of his bright green poncho. 

Eugene grinned. “We got your arrows, now tell me who we’re fighting so I can bully you about this later.”

“No one!” Pascal said. “You shouldn’t be here! You need to leave now before-”

The door began to open again, and Pascal snatched his arrows and bow from Eugene and slid them under the table. “Who’s there?” A tall man with glasses asked, flanked by another with a mustache.

“Play along,” Pascal whispered before smiling widely, albeit nervously. “This is Eugene and Rapunzel! My friends from the academy! Eugene, Rapunzel,” He gestured to the men, looking defeated. “Meet my dads.”

The two men immediately smiled, and looked much less threatening. “Eugene, Rapunzel!” The one with glasses looked excited. “Oh, we’re so happy to finally meet Pascal’s school friends!”

“What.” Eugene said.

*** *** ***

“I need you to beef up security,” Cassandra said, pacing up and down. “Bring all reports directly to me. No one else! I want patrols doubled. And above all-”

Cassandra glanced at Lance, Adira, Rogelio, and Kyle lined up, and froze. A shadow rose up behind them, a familiar figure who’s touch still lingered.

Panic seized her, and she shrieked, stumbling away. The group looked behind them, but there was nothing there. Lance coughed. “Um...you were saying?”

“Y-yes,” Cassandra said, struggling to regain her composure. “Report directly to me.”

“You mean like the fact that Gothel’s cell is empty?” Adira asked pointedly. 

“I threw the prisoner into solitary last night!” Cassandra growled. “Not that I need to explain myself to underlings…”

“Hey, Cassandra, Adira was just trying to-” Lance started, but Cassandra snapped her head to him. 

“You have your orders! Next person who questions me gets to see Gothel’s cell up close. Now go!” She pointed at the door, and one by one, the four filed out, leaving her alone with her thoughts once again.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel really hoped that Pascal’s dads couldn’t tell they were all sweating profusely. 

“Can I get you anything?” Adam asked, smiling widely and adjusting his glasses. “Snacks? Anyone? You want anything at all, you just tell me. Snacks, yeah, perfect!” He jumped up, rushing to go get snacks.

George chuckled. “Yes, so energetic...you two must love attending the Academy of Historic Enterprises with Pascal!” He smiled at Eugene and Rapunzel.

“Uh, yes!” Eugene nodded. “Absolutely!” He elbowed Rapunzel.

“Yup, wouldn’t change a thing!” Rapunzel fidgeted. “At the academy, the academy which we all go to.”

Eugene bit back a sigh. 

“Oh, I bet you’re here to see our collection of First Ones artifacts!” Adam said, suddenly distracted from the snacks mission. “We got some new pottery shards!” He gestured grandly at the wall where chunks of cracked pots had been displayed.

“Adam, the snacks?” George reminded gently. 

Adam chuckled. “Ah, right.” He set off again.

“The pottery is really something,” George said. “Pascal’s older brother sent it.”

Eugene had been previously sipping tea, but now choked on it, nearly spitting on their nice carpet. “B-brother?!” He managed to sputter.

“Oh, Pascal has an older brother?” Rapunzel glanced at Pascal, who was staring at the floor with sudden interest. “That’s...nice.”

“Youngest of thirteen,” Adam said, returning with a plate of cookies. “All historians, just like us! And just like Pascal when he graduates and takes over the library. Right, Pascal?”

Pascal looked absolutely mortified, but his dads didn’t seem to notice. “Right!” Pascal said, his voice cracking painfully. 

“Don’t bother, Adam,” George elbowed his husband lightly. “Looks like he’s not very…” He gestured to the tea on the table. “ _Cha-tea_ today!” He laughed heartily, and Adam rolled his eyes lightly. 

“Okay…” Pascal said. “Thanks for the tea and snacks, but I think my friends and I would really like to-”

“Have a tour of the library!” Adam finished. “Of course our Pascal would find people who share his zest for history.” He grinned at Eugene and Rapunzel. “Just wait until we show you the oldest piece in our collection! A shard from an ancient, defunct Runestone!”

“If it wasn’t for its historical value, that thing would be long gone,” George said grimly. “No need to keep reminders of the Royals and their war.”

“Uh,” Eugene said before he could stop himself. “But the Horde started the war. And the Royals are fighting to save Etheria.”

“You’re too young to remember the first failed Royal Alliance,” George said. “I’m not.”

He stood up, his expression distant. “I enlisted, fought for what I thought was right.”

“Dad, can we not-” Pascal started, but George ignored him.

“When I came home, there was nothing left of my village but ash,” George said. “I vowed that my family would never get mixed up in fighting, or the Royals, ever again.”

Pascal looked extremely uncomfortable. 

Adam took his husband’s hand, and smiled at the group. “Well, I know what’ll lighten the mood. Baby pictures! I’ve got some great ones from Pascal’s first bubble bath!”

“I’m gonna show them my room now!” Pascal practically shouted, jumping up.

“I wanna see the bubble baths!” Rapunzel said.

“Now.” Pascal said, fixing them both with a look that shouldn’t have been as dangerous as it was. 

*** *** ***

“So,” Eugene said when Pascal shoved them into another room. “Wanna tell us what’s going on here?”

Pascal sighed, shifting. “My...dads don’t know I’m a Rebellion fighter. They think I’m at boarding school. I’m supposed to be on break.”

“So this is why you never talked about your past?!” Eugene asked. “I thought it was because it was dark and painful, and like, filled with drama and secrets.”

“Told you.” Rapunzel said through a mouthful of cookie. 

“Look, I love my dads! I never mentioned them because they decided when I was a little kid I was gonna stay home, take over the library when they retire. But I wanna fight! Travel! So I did the only thing I could,” Pascal took a breath. “I secretly taught myself archery, ran away, and pretended I was at a made up boarding school!”

“That seems really elaborate.” Rapunzel said. 

“You saw what they were like! They don’t listen. They just assume they know what I want. And if Adam knew I didn’t want to be a historian, or worse, George knew I was with the Rebellion fighting with the Royals, it’d kill them.” Pascal said. 

“So you’re just gonna lie forever.” Eugene said.

“Not...forever…” Pascal said slowly. “Just for the foreseeable future. It’s worked so far. Please, just play along! For me? And also, my dads have the biggest collection of First Ones artifacts and writings in all of Etheria! This is the perfect place to look for answers about the Sundrop, the Mara message, Serenia, everything!”

“Sure!” Rapunzel said. “Why not? We can be scholars. How hard can it be?”

“This is going to be a disaster,” Eugene groaned. “And I can’t take you seriously in that sweater vest.”

“It’ll be fine,” Pascal turned to open the door, and then paused. “And...I may have mentioned in my letters that Eugene is a physics major, Rapunzel is an art major, and no one is a Royal or has any magic powers.”

“What? I wanna be the art major!” Eugene protested.

“Too bad, it’s mine.” Rapunzel said, looking pleased with her false degree.

Eugene huffed. “I thought you said this was a history academy.”

“They’re branching out,” Pascal said. “It’ll be fine. Let’s go!”

*** *** ***

“Hey, Cassandra…” Lance said hesitantly, watching her dig through papers with a near manic energy. “I was looking around for anything suspicious, like you asked me to, but this is the Fright Zone, so that’s pretty much everything...I was wondering if you could just...tell me what we’re looking for?”

Cassandra scowled. “If you spent more time following orders instead of questioning them, you wouldn’t need me to! Now get out!”

“Wildcat-” Lance started but Cassandra suddenly looked furious.

“Stop calling me that! I’m sick of all these stupid nicknames, no one listens to me, no one knows how follow orders, and on top of that, Gothel’s gone-” She froze, and Lance’s mouth dropped open.

Cassandra wilted, suddenly looking exhausted. “I...I lost Gothel. And I need to find her before Hector finds out.”

“Well…” Lance said slowly. “You don’t have to do it alone. I’m here. And I bet Varian can whip up a locator-”

“No,” Cassandra said. “Varian spends time with Hector and is bad at secrets. The minute we tell him, he tells Hector, and then it’s all over.”

Lance frowned, but then nodded. “Then we make sure that doesn’t happen. We’ll find Gothel-just the two of us-and we’ll make sure none of this leaves this room.”

And neither of them noticed the imp in the vents.

*** *** ***

“This is a thousand year old Colonia pitcher,” Adam said grandly, gesturing to a pitcher inside a display case. “And this tablet dates back over two millenia!”

He rushed over to an armoire. “And this is where Pascal used to play when he was a little boy!” He pulled aside a small curtain, revealing a crawl space filled with toys, books, and drawings. 

Eugene grinned widely, and Pascal looked embarrassed. “Lemme guess,” Eugene said. “Playing pirates?”

“Oh, no,” Adam shook his head. “Pascal doesn’t like pirates. Playing historian, getting ready to take over the library even then! Right, Pascal?”

“Right.” The archer nodded.

“Uh, Mr. Pascal’s Dad, as First Ones historians, do you know anything about the lore of the Sundrop?” Rapunzel asked. 

“Ah, great question!” Adam looked excited. “Accurate translations are hard to come by, but we think the name was actually Sunbeam.”

Rapunzel chuckled. “Well, that’s not right.”

“We don’t know for sure though, do we, Rapunzel?!” Pascal said loudly. 

“She’d fight for the power of Der Sonne, and rode on a dragon.” Adam stepped aside, showing a vase that depicted the Sundrop seated upon a bright pink dragon.

Rapunzel’s eyes widened. “Wait, she got a dragon?! I want-” Pascal covered her mouth, cutting off the rest of the wish that would have surely offended Maximus had he been here. 

“Anyway,” Adam said. “Where was I?”

“Royal nonsense.” George said, and Eugene frowned slightly. George yanked a tasseled chord, and a curtain moved aside to reveal a glowing purple gem chunk. “Behold, the oldest artifact in our collection. A First Ones Runestone.”

“But enough about us,” Adam said. “Tell us about your studies, Eugene and Rapunzel.”

“Uh…” Eugene looked nervous. “Physics are...cool!”

“History is also cool.” Rapunzel said.

Adam looked confused. “I thought you were an art major.”

“She’s double majoring!” Pascal said quickly. 

“Right!” Rapunzel nodded quickly. “Art, history...who can choose, right?”

“Ah, so you’re one of those go-getters who goes for a safe choice and their dreams!” Adam smiled. “Good on you! The workload must be immense, but I’m sure it’s nothing you can’t handle!”

“Yeah, totally.” Rapunzel said, clueless as to what they were talking about. At least to her, an art and history combo seemed dumb. Just choose one major!

“It’s really great to finally meet you, Eugene,” George said. “I’ve got to be honest, I thought Pascal was making you up.”

“Really?” Eugene asked.

“You know how Pascal is, quiet, shy, not many friends,” George said warmly. “From his letters, it sounds like you really brought him out of his shell.”

“I...guess I did?” Eugene said slowly.

“So!” Pascal said. “For school, they gave us this First Ones puzzle for us to solve. But the last word is giving us trouble. Have you heard of Serenia?”

“Ooh!” Adam grabbed several books and scrolls, dumping them on the table. 

“Serenia was the name of a mythical First Ones hero,” George said. “Although, some of us think she was a real person.” He glanced at Adam. 

“Mhm,” Adam said. “And some of us think the Saporian vase dates back only one millenia.”

“Is this everything you have on Serenia?” Pascal asked.

“Oh, no, I’m so sorry,” Adam chuckled. “This is all from the first floor. There’s more on the second.”

“This is gonna take hours.” Eugene said.

“Hours, days, maybe weeks!” Adam looked ecstatic. “And if you’re really lucky, it might take you a whole lifetime.”

“Well,” Rapunzel skimmed a scroll. “This one is about aqueducts, so it’s mislabeled.”

“You can read First Ones?!” Adam asked.

Rapunzel jumped. “Uh, I also study linguistics! It’s the...the third major, right?”

“What does this say?!” George rolled up his sleeve, showing a tattoo in First Ones.

“Um. Lunch.” Rapunzel said.

Adam started laughing hysterically, and George frowned. “I thought it said love.”

“Oh, I like her!” Adam smiled. “There’s actually a debate you can settle for us, Rapunzel.” He grabbed her arm, leading her into the library.

“Uh, I dunno, I should get back to my school project-” Rapunzel said helplessly. 

But the two were far too excited to be stopped now.

*** *** ***

Hours later, Pascal sighed. “This is going nowhere. What does a mythological First Ones hero have to do with Mara?”

Eugene didn’t answer, and Pascal paused. “Er...Eugene? What’s up?”

“What’s up with you?!” Eugene said suddenly. “You have a secret family, you’re supposed to be a historian, you hate pirates, and you never told me about any of this! I just...I feel like I don’t even know you.”

“Eugene, of course you know me! You know the real me!” Pascal said. “I act like someone I’m not with my family because the truth would hurt them.”

“But it’s making you miserable,” Eugene said. “Your dads love you. I’m sure they’ll love the real you too.”

“You don’t know that. They’ve had this plan since I was a baby. But the truth is, I’m nothing like the rest of my family. I’ve tried to tell them before, but they don’t want to hear it. So…” Pascal curled up, looking dejected once again. “I pretend.”

*** *** ***

“This was found in the same dig as the rune shard,” Adam said, staring at a massive metal ball with a simple inscription on it. “Thing is, we can’t agree on what it is. So, what’s it say?”

Rapunzel glanced at it, and smiled. “Oh, that’s an easy one. This is the password to open it. It says Eternia.”

As soon as the words left her lips, the ball cracked open in a flash of light. Metallic legs poked out of the side, and several red eyes stared out blankly.

Rapunzel gulped. “Whoops.”

Adam and George shrieked, pushing Rapunzel along with them down to the first floor. The monster jumped off the balcony, roaring loudly. 

“It’s nothing, don’t worry! I got this!” Rapunzel said, grabbing the flower from her hair.

Pascal’s eyes widened. “Rapunzel, wait!”

“For the honor of Der Sonne!” Rapunzel said, and in an even brighter flash, the Sundrop appeared in all her glory.

Adam and George’s jaws dropped, and Pascal smiled guiltily. “Uh...fourth major in Sundrop?”

“I got this!” The Sundrop said, but the monster flicked her aside.

“Hey!” Eugene jumped to his feet. “Leave her alone!” 

He teleported on top of the monster, and started throwing balls of light into its eyes with a shout. The monster bucked, and Eugene struggled not to fall. “Hold on, Eugene!” The Sundrop shouted, using her hair to start to ensnare the monster.

Adam and George stared at Pascal, who chuckled weakly. “They, uh...really get into their studies.”

The monster knocked over a shelf, and Pascal’s dads pushed him behind a table. “Pascal, are your friends Royals?!” Adam demanded. 

“You are going to tell us what is happening right now, young man, or-” George scolded.

“Right now, we have to act before the Elemental turns to us!” Pascal said. 

“You know what that is?!” Adam asked.

“We’ve run into them before,” Pascal said. “They only attack when they’re trying to protect something! So what is it trying to protect?!”

“You’ve run into them?!” George shouted. “Who are you?!”

“It was found along the Runestone shard,” Adam said. “Could it be that?”

Pascal grinned. “Dad, you’re a genius!” He jumped up. “I promise I’ll explain everything, but right now, you have to trust me!” He leapt over the table.

“Pascal, Pascal! You get back here-” Adam yelped when the monster suddenly turned, hissing at him and George. “Nevermind, stay away!”

“Eugene!” Pascal shouted, and Eugene nodded, teleporting to the two, grabbing them, and blinking away just as the monster plowed through the table. 

“It’s been really nice meeting you. Sorry about your library.” Eugene said.

Pascal wriggled under the table, grabbing his bow and arrows as the monster threw the Sundrop off roughly. In less than a second, he had fired an arrow, which hit it in the side of the head, exploding in a puff of smoke. 

The monster swung around to Pascal, and he yelped. The Runestone shard was right behind him. He shot an arrow at it, and a claw burst from the tip, breaking through the glass and grabbing the shard. It yanked the shard back to Pascal, and he held it out, suddenly realizing that if his theory was wrong he would be trampled. He closed his eyes tightly as the shadow of the monster fell over him-

But nothing happened.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw the monster staring down at the shard, perfectly still. After a moment, it delicately plucked the shard from his hand with what almost sounded like a purr, and curled up into a ball again, sealed off.

Eugene appeared next to Pascal. “Nice one, buddy,” He smiled, relieved. “Thought you and your sweater vest were about to get smushed.”

“What is going on?!” George demanded, marching down the ruined stairs. 

The Sundrop hastily disappeared, and Pascal took a breath. He stepped forward. 

“I…” He dropped his head. “I lied to you. There is no Academy of Historic Enterprises. I’ve been living in Corona and fighting for the Rebellion alongside Rapunzel and Prince Eugene.”

Adam and George glanced at each other, shocked. “But...why?” Adam asked.

“I don’t wanna be a historian,” Pascal said. “I’ve never wanted to be a historian. I’m not a shy bookworm. I’m not a genius like you two. I make things. I’m a soldier. This is who I am! And I can’t lie about it anymore, even though...even though I’m breaking your hearts.”

Pascal wrung his hands, ashamed. There was a beat of awful stillness before George stepped forward.

And hugged Pascal tightly.

“What’s breaking our hearts is the fact you thought you had to lie about who you are.” George said.

Pascal blinked. “You’re...you’re not mad? But I’m a fighter. And you hate fighters.”

“I could never hate you. Ever,” George assured him. “If you feel like you belong in the Rebellion, then that’s where you belong.”

“Oh, Pascal,” Adam said softly. “Why didn’t you just tell us?”

“I tried, but you didn’t listen,” Pascal said. “You only listened to me if I said what you wanted to hear.”

“We...we had no idea you felt that way,” Adam said. “We were just trying to encourage you to pursue your dreams. We thought we were being supportive, but we were really being terrible!” Adam looked distraught.

“We love you the way you are, Pascal. And we’re proud of you.” George said, hugging Pascal tightly. Adam joined in.

George glanced up, catching Rapunzel and Eugene trying to act like they weren’t getting choked up. “This is a family hug, Royals,” George said. “And you’re Pascal’s family too.”

“Oh, I was hoping they’d say something like that.” Rapunzel said hoarsely.

*** *** ***

“On one of our missions, we received a transmission from an unknown source,” Pascal said, letting his dads examine the degraded message from the data pad. “If we knew what Serenia meant, we could figure out the rest.”

“‘Serenia portal Mara’,” Adam read. “But what are these other words?”

“I don’t know,” Rapunzel said. “It’s too degraded to read.”

“Wait,” George paused. “Adam, what does this pattern look like?”

Adam squinted, and gasped. “Ooh, I think you’re right!”

“What? What is it?” Pascal looked hopeful.

“Look at it, Pascal. Really look at it.” George handed the data pad to his son, and Pascal squinted at it.

After a moment, his eyes widened. “These aren’t words at all, are they?”

“Oh, now you’ve got it!” Adam cheered.

“I’m sorry, you lost me.” Eugene said.

“George, get the projector!” Adam said, and his husband quickly set up a dome-like projector, darkening the room so they could see.

“The world of the First Ones was different from ours,” George said. “Climate, language, even the sky was different, filled with cosmic formations they called-”

“Stars.” Rapunzel said, her eyes shining as the projector displayed a colorful and bright night sky, dotted with twinkling lights. 

“The First Ones used them to navigate and named constellations after mythical heroes, including Serenia.” Adam explained. 

“The constellation Serenia would have only existed in summer, and only over one place.” He pressed another button, and the ground lit up with a holographic depiction of red rocks and a sweeping desert.

“The Crimson Waste.” Eugene said grimly. 

“Then that’s where we have to go.” Rapunzel said.

“What?!” Adam looked shocked. “You can’t go to the Crimson Waste. It’s a no-man’s-land, a giant, lifeless desert! No one’s ever come back alive from it.”

“Promise me you kids will stay away.” George said.

Rapunzel merely stared at the false stars.

*** *** ***

Cassandra crept into Hector’s lab, feeling sick. “You wanted to see me, Lord Hector?”

“Yes, Force Captain,” Hector said grimly. “I wish to...what did you call it? Touch base? See how my orders are being carried out.”

“Everything is running smoothly.” Cassandra said.

“Does this mean Gothel has been transferred to Tarapati Island, per my orders?” Hector asked.

“Yes!” Cassandra said, maybe a bit too forcefully. “I sent her yesterday, just like you ordered.”

“I lost Gothel!” Cassandra’s own voice echoed behind her, and she felt the blood drain from her face as the Imp scuttled under her feet like a cockroach.

Hector slowly turned to her. “You lied to me.”

“No, no, wait-” Cassandra stepped back, but suddenly Hector pulled a lever, and the red dome was around her, and she couldn’t breath, couldn’t speak, couldn’t run-

“I know your lax security allowed Gothel to escape,” Hector said, his voice filled with barely controlled fury. “I know you’ve been covering it up, lying about her whereabouts.”

Cassandra collapsed to her knees, wheezing with desperation and panic. Hector towered over her. “But worst of all,” His voice rose to a roar, or maybe that was just her dwindling consciousness. “I gave you a chance to come clean, to prove your worth to me, to the Horde!”

“This was a test.” He knelt down, and it occurred to Cassandra the last thing she would ever see was those awful, yellow eyes.

“And you failed.”

And the world went black.

*** *** ***

A shadow fell over Rapunzel while she slept, one she could never quite outrun.

A light sleeper, she suddenly jerked awake, fists clenched and ready to fight because Eugene had taken her pillow knife. If she made it out, she was going to get that knife back.

Someone stumbled back from her, shaking. “Rapunzel…”

Rapunzel’s heart leapt to her throat when the figure suddenly coughed harshly and painfully before falling to the floor. They were old, obscenely so, and they were clinging to life out of pure spite.

Rapunzel’s mouth felt dry.

“Mother?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not me bullying myself in this chapter cause im majoring in biology and creative writing 
> 
> i really like this cause every other season finale in the series either has someone dying dramatically or a horrible disaster thats just barely averted but here the big season conflict finale is bow has some parental issues


	8. Of Mothers and Mayhem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> season three babeeey!
> 
> god im really falling behind on this book and i want to write for the gay tangled series "oh your love is sunlight" but i have a bigger buffer on that one than this one so

“Double security around the castle, and triple it around the Moonstone,” Angella said, striding down the hall with a quiet fury on her face. “No one sleeps until we figure out how Gothel got into the castle.”

The general nodded, and broke off from her queen. Willow struggled to stay in step with Angella, worry written all over her face, but nearly stumbled when Angella came to a sudden stop. 

“Why are we stopping?” Willow asked.

“This is where we’re holding the prisoner.” Angella nodded at the closed doors to one of the guest rooms.

“This is your prison?” Willow blinked.

“It is more than adequate as a holding cell. We removed the cushions.” Angella said defensively. 

Willow looked unimpressed. 

“Most of the cushions.” Angella relented. 

“This is the prison?” Rapunzel asked, rounding the corner, looking skeptical. Eugene and Pascal flanked her.

“Yes, it’s the prison!” Angella nearly snapped. 

“Your Majesty,” Rapunzel said. “I know Gothel. I know her tricks. I need to be there for the interrogation. I’m the only one who-”

“Gothel is dangerous,” Angella interrupted. “I will not let that witch near you. Near any of you. Stay away from this room. Eugene, that means you too.”

“I didn’t even say anything.” Eugene grumbled. 

“But Your Majesty-” Rapunzel protested, but Angella held up her hand.

“My decision is final.” The queen said. Before Rapunzel could protest, she ducked into the makeshift prison, followed by Willow. Rapunzel didn’t even have a chance to peek inside the room before the door slammed shut, and a guard stepped in front of her.

Rapunzel groaned. “I need to get in there! Gothel could have gone anywhere, but she came here! I need to know why.”

“It’s kind of obvious,” Eugene said. “You’re here, and that means it’s probably for the best you stay away from her.”

“Wow, Eugene agreeing with Angella?” Pascal yawned. 

“Gothel raised you. She knows how to get in your head. We can’t risk her manipulating you.” Eugene said.

“That won’t happen.” Rapunzel snapped. She sighed, and an idea began to form in her mind. She yawned widely and slightly obnoxiously, watching Eugene and Pascal out of the corner of her eye. 

“Fine,” She sighed. “I guess we should just all just go to bed then, get some rest, right? Let the _clearly unqualified_ Corona guard handle this.”

“You’re gonna try to sneak out.” Pascal said. It wasn’t a question.

“W-what?!” Rapunzel said, as if Pascal had accused her of murder. “No!” She shuffled in place, before unceremoniously stumbling away, red-faced and sweaty. 

About thirty seconds later, she made a mad dash for the door, and Eugene pounced on her with a strangled “Hey!”, teleporting them away. Pascal sighed deeply. 

It was going to be a long night. 

*** *** ***

Gothel kept her head bowed, partially from shame over her own appearance, partially from being in too much pain to do much other than take long, rattling breaths. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the Corona prison.” A stern female voice said, and Gothel recognized it as Angella, Queen of Corona. 

Gothel managed to look around the dim room, seeing the plush sofa and crystalline walls. The only thing keeping her from such decadence was the glowing force field around her. And her own weakness. She raised an eyebrow. “This is a prison?”

“Why does everyone keep-?!” Angella huffed. “Yes, this is a prison!”

Gothel managed to glance up, seeing the queen glaring down at her, another woman in sorcerers clothing by her side. The queen would have looked imposing and powerful, had it not been for maternal anxiety creeping behind her eyes, completely sealed off. Even Gothel, master of emotions, had a hard time seeing it. But it was there. And it was malleable. 

“You must be Eugene’s mother,” She said, and gave a dry chuckle when the queen’s face pinched. “I can tell by the way your voice goes shrill when you scream.”

Angella’s hands trembled. “How dare you-”

“Gothel!” The other woman stepped forward. “”You will answer for the crimes you committed during your time as my brother’s teacher.”

“Oh, yes…” Gothel said, recognizing Willow with something that wasn’t quite nostalgia. “Sweet, talented Edmund.”

“You will not speak his name.” Angella said, her voice dark.

“I am not the one who got him killed.” Gothel said, sing-song sweet. 

Angella started to move forward, and Willow stepped in front, opening her mouth, but Gothel interrupted their coming argument with a sudden bout of painful, bone-dry coughing. It shook her frame, and the shadows around her gathered to her, almost seeming to swirl. After the fit passed, the shadows retreated, darker than they had been before. Gothel heaved for air.

“Tell us why you’re here.” Angella said with no sympathy.

“I have vital information that can defeat the Horde,” Gothel said, her voice quavering. “But I will only speak to Rapunzel.”

Angella scoffed. “No. And you're hardly in a position to negotiate.”

“Oh, come now,” Gothel managed to look up at her, pain spiking from the effort. “Think of it as a favor from one mother to another. An old woman’s final request.”

“Don’t call yourself a mother,” Willow said, looking disgusted. “No more games. Give us the information.”

“Until Rapunzel is in the room,” Gothel said, dropping her head again. “I will not speak again.”

*** *** ***

Cassandra woke with a shriek, clutching her chest and heaving. Her mouth tasted like bile, and spots danced before her eyes as she gulped in air desperately. 

_I’m alive._

She looked around, taking in her surroundings. The walls were covered in disjointed tally marks, scrawled in carelessly. It was dim, but she could see metal cuffs around her wrists, an electric green band chaining them to the wall.

She felt tears prick at her eyes before she could stop it.

_I’m imprisoned._

“Cassandra!” Cassandra whirled around at her name, blinking away tears when she saw Lance on the other side of the laser wall, looking distressed. 

“Lance?” She stood up, staring at him. “How’d you get down here?”

“Oh, man, it was quite the heist.” Lance chuckled. It wasn’t. He had walked down here. “But that’s for later. Now come on,” He started tapping at the buttons on the other side. “We don’t have a lot of time before-”

“Before what?” Cassandra asked. 

Lance’s fingers paused for a moment. “...Hector,” He admitted. “He’s called an assembly to witness your punishment. I’m sure it’s…” He swallowed hard. “Probably nothing, but I won’t let it happen.”

“Stop it,” Cassandra said, sitting back down. “I never stood a chance. I did everything right. I thought I could prove myself, but it doesn’t matter what I do. I don’t get to win.”

She curled up into a ball so Lance couldn’t see her face. “Gothel was right.”

“She’s not!” Lance burst out, furious that Cassandra would even consider that. “Don’t give up yet, I can save you!”

“You…” Cassandra swallowed hard. “You really care, don’t you?”

“Of course I care,” Lance said. “You’re Cassandra. You’re our leader! You’re...you’re my friend. And I care about you.”

Cassandra looked up, and smiled slightly.

And then burst out laughing. 

Lance paused. “Um…”

“Caring about people is what got me into this mess!” Cassandra cackled, though it wasn’t as mean-spirited as it usually was. “Just…” She turned away. “Get out of here. Before they take you down with me.”

“What?” Lance blinked. “But-”

“Are you stupid?!” Cassandra snapped. “I said leave!”

“Cass, please-”

“STOP WITH THE NICKNAMES!” Cassandra whirled around, her face alight with fury. “GET OUT!”

Lance flinched, backing away slowly. When Cassandra’s expression didn’t change, he slowly turned, walking away. 

Cassandra’s face slid back into one of indifference, slumping down against the wall, exhausted from trying.

*** *** ***

Pascal and Eugene tried to stay awake to make sure Rapunzel didn’t sneak off, but they underestimated her ability to stay awake out of determination and spite.

When Pascal caved (hours after Eugene), she grinned, sneaking out into the halls, easily sidestepping guards. She crept towards Gothel’s door, and shrieked when Eugene suddenly appeared in front of her.

“Blondie-” He said, voice slightly slurred from sleep, and teleported them back to his room. 

The attempts went on all through the night.

“Look, I told you, I need to talk to her!” Rapunzel said when the day began to break over Corona. 

“Rapunzel, Gothel’s just gonna try and hurt you again!” Eugene said, rubbing his eyes.

“You don’t know that.” Rapunzel said.

“Yes I do!” Eugene waved his arms. “Look at her track record! She’s evil! Evil people don’t change!”

“I’m from the Horde, just like her! I changed!” Rapunzel said.

“That’s completely different,” Pascal shook his head. “You’re not like them. You’re good, and kind, and-”

“And the Sundrop.” Rapunzel said, sounding glum. 

Pascal fell silent.

“I was just like the rest of them, and then I left,” Rapunzel paced. “Not because I grabbed some stupid flower, but because it was the right thing to do. I have to believe the others can change. Even Gothel. Just...trust me, okay? I’m strong enough to face her now. I...need to know if she can change. If the woman who raised me has some good deep inside her. Deep, deep, deep inside her.”

Pascal and Eugene glanced at each other, and Pascal broke first, sighing. “We trust you, but we’re not gonna let you go in alone.”

“This is a horrible idea,” Eugene said. “But if something bad happens, I get an excuse to beat up Gothel and tell you ‘I told you so’. So what do you need us to do?”

*** *** ***

“For the last time,” Willow snapped. “What do you know?” She outlined a rune in the air.

“I know,” Gothel said in a whisper. “When you cast a truth spell, you should make sure it’s drawn correctly.”

“I thought you said you were going to remain silent.” Willow snapped.

“I cannot let sloppy spellwork slide,” Gothel smiled. “Are you sure you’re Edmund’s sister?”

It was Angella’s turn to stop Willow from committing homicide this time, grabbing her arm. “She’s trying to get under our skin.”

“I’ll ask again,” Gothel said. “Let me see Rapunzel, and I’m all yours.”

“No,” Angella said. “You’ve put that girl through enough. Now tell us the truth. Why did the Horde send you here? What are you planning?”

Gothel scoffed. “You think Hector sent me here? I escaped from him, and paid the price for it. I-” She doubled over, coughing harshly, the shadows swirling around her, as if stealing...stealing her away.

“You’re...dying, aren’t you?” Angella’s voice was soft, but still pitiless. 

“Angella,” Willow said. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”

Angella nodded, following her sister-in-law out and closing the door. Willow sighed. “This isn’t working. We’ve tried everything, and her condition is growing worse. Perhaps we should let Rapunzel-”

“No,” Angella shook her head, unaware Rapunzel, her son, and Pascal were listening around the corner. “We should consult with the Royal Alliance-”

“Hey, Your Majesty!” Pascal said good-naturedly, on distraction duty. He pulled out a deck of cards. “Wanna see a magic trick?”

Willow looked slightly insulted.

*** *** ***

Rapunzel wondered if this was a mistake as soon as she saw Gothel.

Her adoptive mother was bent over the ground, barely able to sit, her hair gray and thinning. Her hands were hooked and stiff, lined with spots and bright veins that looked as though they were drawn on against her ashen skin. Her hair was thin and frayed, the color of clouds that spit cold and unending rain.

Eugene nudged her, nodding encouragement. Rapunzel took a breath, and stepped forward.

Gothel looked up, and Rapunzel wanted to bolt.

Her face looked like a skull, her eyes sunken so deep into her head they nearly disappeared. Her skin sagged, as if it were an ill-fitting costume. She smiled, and her teeth (her biggest vanity, Rapunzel knew) were either blackened, cracked, or gone, her gums bright red and swollen.

Rapunzel made a point to write and draw everything in her journal, no matter how it hurt. Even if the process made her tear up, the catharsis made her feel better, and flipping through the art and memories later on always felt better, as though it had happened to someone else.

She would never, ever draw this in her journal. Even if she knew the image would never leave her mind.

“Hello, darling.” Gothel said.

“Listen up, lady,” Eugene snapped, stepping in front of Rapunzel and putting on an aura of fearlessness. “After all your kidnapping and mind-wiping, I am just _itching_ for a reason to turn you into a real corpse. You certainly look the part. So if you even think about hurting Rapunzel-”

“Eugene.” Rapunzel put her hand on his shoulder, moving him aside. She felt oddly strengthened by his bravado. “I got this.”

Eugene frowned, but gave a stiff nod. 

“Look at you…” Gothel said, smiling still. Rapunzel wished she wouldn’t. “My Rapunzel.”

“You snuck into Corona,” Rapunzel asked, glaring. “Why? That’s the only reason we’re speaking.”

“To see you,” Gothel said, the shadows swirling around her. “You’re the only one I can trust. I’ve missed you, my precious girl-”

“We’re past that,” Rapunzel looked away. “Try again.”

Gothel huffed. “Clever...you always were. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were different. You were-”

“Special?” Rapunzel scoffed, walking around the force field. “No, what you always told me was that I didn’t matter. I was special as long as I obeyed you. So one last time. Why are you here?”

Eugene made a mental note to cheer Rapunzel on for this later.

Gothel wheezed suddenly, a coughing fit stealing her senses. Rapunzel rolled her eyes at first, and then paused when she realized Gothel wasn’t even looking at her reaction. It wasn’t a plea for pity. It was real. 

Gothel hacked up a shadow, and Rapunzel stumbled back. “What...what’s happening to you?!” She hated how her voice shook.

“It took all of my magical power to come to you,” Gothel said, shaking. “I am dying, Rapunzel.”

“You’re lying.” Rapunzel said, slightly dizzy.

“I don’t think she is, Blondie.” Eugene said softly. 

Gothel began to cough again, and Rapunzel felt nauseous. She yanked out the flower. “For the honor of Der Sonne!”

A bright light filled up the room, and the Sundrop looked at Gothel with little pity. “I don’t know why you’re here, but I won’t let you suffer like this.”

She gathered up her hair. “I’m going to heal you, Gothel. And then you will answer our questions. Do we have a deal?”

“Rapunzel,” Eugene pulled her aside gently. “You don’t know how to heal.”

“I can figure it out!” The Sundrop said. “She’ll die if I don’t.”

“Maybe I can help,” Gothel said. “I was once a teacher of magic at Mystacor. I trained your father, Prince.”

Eugene’s jaw tightened. 

“I can help you control your magic, Rapunzel,” Gothel said. “But first, you must trust me.”

The Sundrop was quiet for a long time, and Eugene was about to tell Gothel to buzz off (but with less friendly words) when she spoke. “Fine. But you need to trust me too. Trust that I’m not stupid. Trust that I’ll see right through your mind games. Stop lying for once, and trust me with the truth!”

Gothel nodded.

*** *** ***

“Hector!” Varian said, tumbling out of the vents. “I’ve got a lot to cover with you today!”

He held up a data pad, not noticing Hector shrink away from him. “I’ve integrated the First Ones tech from Krestin Lock to our portal machine, but there’s still something missing. But luckily, I just picked up a signal! It’s some kind of First Ones message. I don’t know most of the words, but this one-” He pointed. “Is ‘portal’. It could be the missing something we’re looking for!”

He paused in his rant. “Where’s Cassie? We should send her out ASAP!”

“Cassandra is no longer a concern of yours,” Hector growled. “She’s being sent to Tarapati Island.”

“But…” Varian blinked, suddenly slightly panicked. “But we need her! She’s been the best at getting new tech, we can’t finish the portal without her. Look look,” He grabbed a map, desperately shoving it into Hector’s face. “The signal is coming from the Crimson Waste! We need to send her out there now!”

“It is meaningless!” Hector swiped the map aside. “I’m not going to squander troops on a lifeless wasteland!”

He turned to Varian, face dark. “Now get out, before I send you along with her.”

Varian felt sick, backing away, enthusiasm disappearing as quickly as it came.

*** *** ***

“You are a princess,” Gothel said. “So you have a Runestone. Or your version of one, anyway. Your flower channels the elemental magic of Etheria. Let it flow through you.”

“I’ve tried this before!” The Sundrop paced. “What do I do, point the flower at you?”

“Calm down,” Gothel scolded. “Your frustration will cause the energy you create to become destructive.”

“Oh no,” Eugene said dully. “We wouldn’t want that.”

“There must be peace in your mind if you are to heal,” Gothel ignored Eugene. “Come closer. Allow me to help you.” 

“No-” Eugene started, but fell silent when the Sundrop stepped forward, and into the force field, kneeling down in front of Gothel. 

“You are afraid, but refuse to admit it,” Gothel said. “Afraid of your power, of it spiraling out of control.”

The Sundrop felt cold, but Gothel looked completely at ease. “Let yourself feel it, then move past it. You are greater than your fear.”

The Sundrop took a breath, feeling the power of the sun surging inside her like a raging river held back by the tiniest dam. Scenarios of insanity and Mara played in her head, and her heart rate began to beat, the river of power roaring louder than ever. 

The Sundrop took another breath, gathering up her hair and closing her eyes, willing herself to control the river. It was her power. It was her gift. She would not let it control her. And she would not let it be controlled by anyone.

_I need to to heal her. I need to make the clock reverse. I need to bring back…_

A melody appeared in her head, one that had always been there. Just unnoticed.

“ _Flower gleam and glow,_ ” The Sundrop sang softly, feeling the river bend to her will. “ _Let your powers shine_.”

Her hair always glowed when she was the Sundrop, but now it was more concentrated, lighting up like a lantern as opposed to simply reflecting the sun. “ _Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine._ ”

Gothel watched the brightness travel along the Sundrop’s hair, and for once, Eugene was well and truly speechless. “ _Heal what has been hurt, change the Fate’s design…_ ”

“What is going on in here?!” Angella burst in, wings spread and furious, followed by Willow and Pascal.

“I’m sorry!” Pascal fumbled with the cards. “I held them off as long as I could!”

“ _Save what has been lost,_ ” The Sundrop said, taking no notice of them. “ _Bring back what once was mine…_ ”

The glow grew brighter to the point where it was blinding, and then they opened their eyes, Gothel was no longer hunched over, shadowed and weakened. 

“ _What once was mine._ ” The Sundrop finished, letting the note ring in the air. She blinked, and stumbled back as if startled, transforming back into Rapunzel.

“Rapunzel!” Eugene rushed to her side, and Angella did as well.

“I told you both to stay out there!” Angella snapped.

“She’s the Sundrop, Mom,” Eugene shrugged. “What do you expect me to do?”

Rapunzel went to Gothel, her face steely, waiting for her verdict. Gothel examined her hands-gnarled, still, but not hooked. Her face was lined, her hair gray, and her teeth were still not alabaster white.

Gothel fingers twitched. “That was on purpose, wasn’t it?”

“I’m not going to indulge your fantasies of youth and narcissism,” Rapunzel said, her voice low. “I saved you from death. Just don’t look in any mirrors if it bothers you that much.”

Gothel’s expression was sour, but she said nothing. 

“I held up my end. Now hold up yours,” Rapunzel crossed her arms. “Why are you here?”

Gothel chuckled with no humor. “You want the truth? I have nowhere else to go. Cassandra betrayed me. Hector cast me aside. I want to see them burn for it. And helping you is the best way to do it.”

Rapunzel blinked. All this...for petty revenge?

“Hector has been working for years to build a machine capable of opening up a portal through the fabric of space,” She stood up, poised and proper. “He intends to bring the rest of the Horde’s armies through this portal and use them to conquer Etheria, once and for all.”

“Armies?” Angella looked startled. “There’s more of the Horde?!”

“A force so large, you cannot even comprehend it,” Gothel said solemnly. “You’ve struggled to hold off Hector’s paltry troops for years. You have no chance against the full might of the Horde.”

“What makes you think he’s getting close to completing the portal now?” Rapunzel asked.

“The child,” Gothel growled. “An insolent alchemist knows how to combine First Ones technology with the Horde’s machines.”

“Varian…” Pascal said sadly. “That’s why he wanted the First Ones tech.”

“How stupid do you think we are?!” Eugene burst out. He gestured wildly at Gothel. “She knows the Horde is losing, so she’s trying to scare us! Portals to other worlds?! It’s ridiculous!”

“I know how this must sound,” Gothel said calmly. “We on Etheria have no concept of a universe beyond our reach. And yet…” She trailed off. “The evidence walks among us.”

She pointed straight at Rapunzel.

“Hector succeeded once before,” Gothel said, her voice growing. “Eighteen years ago, he opened a portal. It was only for a moment...but from it, a child came through. That child was you, Rapunzel. You were brought through a portal from another world.”

“What?” Rapunzel felt dizzy.

“Leave her alone!” Eugene stepped in front of her. “You’re lying, we all know it! You lie about everything!”

“I gain nothing from lying, Prince. Rapunzel is different from us,” Gothel scoffed. “Do you think just anyone could bring a dying woman back to life? Not quite the reunion you would have pictured, is it? Would you prefer the comfort of lies?”

“That’s enough.” Willow snapped.

“Don’t listen to her, Rapunzel.” Pascal said. 

But Rapunzel was already gone.

*** *** ***

Usually, Rapunzel entered the glass castle as the Sundrop. 

But today was not a usual day.

“Light Hope!” She shouted, marching in, and the holographic woman immediately appeared.

“Greeting, Rapunzel,” She said, calm as ever. “I was not expecting you for training today.”

“You said you’ve been watching me since I was an infant, right?” Rapunzel felt even more dizzy, and hoped she wouldn’t collapse. “S-so you must know who I am. Where I came from!”

Light Hope was still and silent, and Rapunzel felt a spike of fury overtake her. “ANSWER ME!” She screamed, not caring how her voice cracked.

Light Hope almost looked...sad. “It is true,” She said. “You are not of Etheria.”

“Why…” Rapunzel swallowed hard. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Explain,” Light Hope said. “Why are you asking about events in your own memory bank? Why are you asking for clarification about events you witnessed?”

“I was a baby!” Rapunzel said. “Babies don’t remember things!”

“Interesting,” Light Hope said, sounding distant. “I shall make note of this.”

“Where did I come from?” Rapunzel asked, her voice desperate for something that Eugene and Pascal had. Something that Gothel was just a twisted version of.

“...The Horde stole you. Turned you into a soldier for war,” Light Hope said reluctantly. “I could not stop them. So I watched and waited for the day I could unite you with the flower.”

“The flower…” Rapunzel said, a panic beginning to build in her. “My powers…”

“The First Ones came from beyond the stars. They combined their tech with the magic of Etheria to make this flower so that it would only respond to one of their own kind.” Light Hope said.

“Own...own kind…” Rapunzel repeated, staring down at the flower. “I’m a First One?”

“You are upset,” Light Hope observed. “I do not understand this.”

“Did I have a family? Can I go back?” Rapunzel asked breathlessly. “A portal brought me here, could a portal take me...take me home?”

“When Mara cut us off from the rest of the universe, she destroyed our portal capabilities,” Light Hope said. “Attempting to open one now could have disastrous consequences.”

“Mara!” Rapunzel gasped. “She must have come from the same place that I did! Why did she do it?!”

“It is irrelevant,” Light Hope shook her head. “This is your home now. As the Sundrop, you-”

“You aren’t listening to me!” Panic was beginning to build in Rapunzel again.

“You are behaving erratically,” Light Hope said. “To bear the power of the Sundrop is an honor.”

“Don’t I get a say in what happens to me?!” Rapunzel felt hot tears begin to spill down her face. “Don’t I get a choice?!”

“No. This is your destiny,” Light Hope said. “You do not choose. You were chosen.”

Rapunzel wanted to swing at Light Hope, scream and fight until she got the answer she wanted, until something broke. Until she got answers, until she got closure. Until she could see the whole picture and finally, _finally_ get what she wanted and _why do I miss Cass so much?!_

Instead, she merely left, ignoring Light Hope’s calls for her.

*** *** ***

“We never should have let Gothel talk to her,” Eugene said, pacing. “She’s a no good, ugly old bit-”

The door opened, and Rapunzel came in, head bowed.

“Blondie!” Eugene whirled around to her, running to hug her.

“Are you okay?” Pascal asked, following suit.

“I’m...not sure,” Rapunzel admitted. “But I think I know what I have to do. My whole life, people have been hiding the truth from me. So I’m gonna look for answers myself. Mara started all this when she stranded Etheria. She’s the only clue we have about portals and...and me.”

She steeled herself. “I’m going to the Crimson Waste. I’m going to follow the message from Mara. I know it’s dangerous, but it’s my choice. You don’t have-”

“Don’t start,” Eugene rolled his eyes. “Of course we’re coming with you.”

“You think you could get us to stay behind if you tried?” Pascal grinned. 

Rapunzel smiled, feeling lighter.

No perfect, because she knew Gothel and her poison were right across the hall. But she had the antidote to it right here.

Laughing at her own sappy observations, she hugged her family.

*** *** ***

“I want you all to watch and learn,” Hector told his gathered army, staring down at a calm and cuffed Cassandra. “There is nothing I do not know. Nothing I am not willing to do to punish those who betray my trust. Your former Force Captain has proven to be compromised, ineffective, and…” He paused for just a second, sneering. “Worthless.”

“To the rest of you,” He walked down the stairs from his throne. “Take a lesson from this. This is what happens to failures.”

“You’re the failure.” Cassandra said calmly.

Silence fell over the army like an axe.

Cassandra started to snicker, and then laugh, and then was soon cackling hysterically, holding her sides to keep from falling over in humor. “You need me,” She managed to say. “Just like you need Gothel because you have no idea how to run this place! All you know how to do is hide in your lab!”

“Maybe…” Cassandra smiled when she saw Hector’s fists clench. “Maybe that’s why you can’t defeat a group of teenagers.”

And then Hector smiled too, and it sent a chill down Cassandra’s spine.

“Save your little speech,” He said. “There has been a change of plans.”

“Hi Cassie!” Varian pushed through the crowd, waving. “I saved your life! You’re welcome!”

“What?” Cassandra asked.

“Varian has interceded on your behalf,” Hector said. “You should be thanking him. Instead of the many punishments I intended, you are being sent to retrieve First Ones tech for us. In the Crimson Waste.”

“The…” Cassandra’s mouth felt dry, as if she were already in the desert. “It’s a total dead zone! Nothing survives out there!”

Hector smiled, a cruel joy coming into his yellow eyes.

“Exactly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD i love writing gothel and angella


	9. Lady Caine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look its the second sexiest character in the series!
> 
> also you know how i said pascal and eugene were up to interpretation? varian and hector are NOT, because varian is a CHILD, they will NOT BE SHIPPED TOGETHER THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT DAY

A dry, hot breeze blew through the desert without much enthusiasm, sending sharp bits of grit into the exposed skin of the Best Friends Squad. Eugene winced, but buried it when Rapunzel turned back to them, smiling.

“Thanks for coming with me, guys.” She said, looking surprisingly happy to be there.

“Of course!” Pascal said cheerfully.

“And the queen is okay with us taking off?” Rapunzel frowned slightly. “I would’ve thought a mission to the Crimson Waste would be too risky for her.”

Rapunzel and Pascal glanced at Eugene at the same time, and the prince sighed. “ _Of course_ I didn’t tell her. What do you take me for?” He grinned. “And anyway, it’s not like anyone else has an idea of how to stop Hector from opening up a portal. Tracking Mara’s message is the best lead we have.”

“For an inhospitable desert,” Pascal said, looking around. “This place is actually kinda beautiful. Look!” He pointed as a tiny blue songbird flew by, chirping merrily. “There’s even a cute bird!”

The bird landed delicately on a large cactus, looked at the group, and then promptly dropped to the ground, dead from simply landing on the wrong plant. 

Pascal shrieked. “Never mind, I hate it here.”

“Okay, I know it’s scary and dangerous,” Rapunzel said, looking shaken. “But we can get through this! We’re the Best Friends Squad, we got this! So, which way now, Pascal?” She smiled and motioned to his data pad.

“Uh…” Pascal stared at it, frowning. “So. Little problem. The data pad is dead.”

“So we’re without a map, and the plants are evil,” Rapunzel’s smile looked strained. “That’s fine! We’re coming from the north, so if we just keep going south, we’ll cross the center! I’m an expert tracker thanks to the Horde’s training. I got this!”

“Right,” Eugene said, trying not to notice the skeleton of a Horde soldier lying partially hidden in the sand. “Go us.”

*** *** ***

“Log one hundred and thirty five,” Varian told his tape recorder, grinning excitedly. “This could finally be it.”

He glanced at Hector, but the man showed no signs that he was at all excited for the newest test of the portal. “Initiating first test. Here we go…”

He slammed the button, clapping when the room lit up with a green glow from their massive machine. The grin died instantly when the colors suddenly flashed red. “Something’s wrong...I’m turning it off!”

He started towards the machine, but Hector grabbed his arm. “No, you fool! It’s going to-”

He didn’t get a chance to finish. The machine exploded, and Varian was thrown back. He winced when he collided roughly with the wall, but a quick check reassured him that he and Hector were little more than simply black and blue.

It didn’t make him feel too much better though. “This doesn’t make any sense,” He muttered. “It should work...the machine didn’t have enough power, so we added First Ones tech. Then it was blowing out the power grid, so we rerouted it. Now everything is going right, but it just won’t activate a portal...we’re missing something. Maybe when Cassie comes back with new tech-”

Hector laughed, though it sounded oddly ragged. He forced himself to his feet. “Cassandra is never coming back from that fool’s errand,” He turned away, holding his arm as though it hurt. “The machine is a failure. Get out.”

“But…” Varian blinked. “That was just our first test. What if we-”

“I SAID WE’RE DONE!” Hector whirled around, yellow eyes alight with fury.

Varian squeaked, and ran out before Hector could say another word.

*** *** *** 

The Best Friends Squad was running for their lives, trying to avoid being swallowed by three oversized snakes that had no right to be as fast as they were. 

They slid down a rough hillside, the sharp stones cutting them, but at least they were no longer a reptilian snack. “Okay,” Rapunzel panted. “Plants are evil, tech doesn’t work, and snakes are very big and mean. I think we’re getting the hang of this!”

“I _hate_ snakes.” Pascal whimpered, facedown in the sand. 

“Why can’t I just teleport us to the center of the wasteland?” Eugene groaned. 

“Because you don’t know where it is, and you’d run out of power and maybe die.” Pascal said. 

“Thanks for that,” Eugene huffed, starting to walk off. “A little positivity is all I ask for, and this is what I g-!” He was cut off abruptly when he was suddenly swallowed up by the ground. Quicksand.

“EUGENE!” Rapunzel dove in after him without a moment of hesitation.

A second later, Eugene teleported back next to Pascal. “Yikes. I’m fine.” He chuckled, and then paused at Pascal’s expression. He glanced around. “Where’s Rapunzel?”

Pascal pointed at the sand, and Eugene groaned, teleporting away once again.

A few seconds later, he reappeared once again, spitting out sand. “And quicksand!” Rapunzel gasped. “Now we also know to avoid that! Look at everything we’re learning!”

“Rapunzel,” Pascal said. “You know we love and support you, but this might be above our skill level.”

“We just need a little rest!” Rapunzel smiled. “I’ll build a shelter-”

“Or, counterpoint,” Eugene said. “Before you go get eaten up sand again, why don’t we just go there?”

Rapunzel squinted, and muttered a quick “thanks” when Pascal handed her the binoculars. In the distance, there was a massive skeleton of some dragon-like creature. Inside of the corpse, there appeared to be some kind of shelter, with patchy tarps blocking out the sun.

“Okay, new plan!” Rapunzel nodded. “We go there! We’ll get out of the heat, maybe there’s a map and water inside!”

“I doubt there’s anyone in there,” Pascal said, following them. “The Crimson Waste has been abandoned for hundreds of-”

Rapunzel pushed the curtain to the entrance aside and gasped.

Inside was a bar, quiet and dusty. Grizzled people-every single one with muscles the size of Pascal’s head-milled about, mean eyes darting around the room as if expecting an attack.

“Just…” Rapunzel steeled herself as the mean eyes turned to them. “Act tough.”

“Tough.” Eugene repeated, and scowled, though Rapunzel didn’t know if that was his tough face, or if he was genuinely displeased with the situation. Maybe both.

“Good afternoon, fellow patrons!” Pascal stomped after them as they entered. “E-except I don’t even care if you have a good afternoon, cause I’m bad.”

“Please stop.” Eugene begged.

“Hey,” Rapunzel went up to the bartender, a tall, horned woman. “Is this the center of the Crimson…” She trailed off when the woman pointedly ignored her. “Jeez, okay. Rude.”

“Blondie,” Eugene said nervously as the bar patrons began to stand up. “Maybe these aren’t the kinds of people we ask for help from?”

Instead, Rapunzel stood on the table.

“Hello!” She grinned when the faces all turned to her, and Eugene tensed to do an emergency teleport. “Sorry, we’re not from around here, and we’re hoping for some directions?”

“Outsiders, then?” A satyr woman stood up, smiling slightly.

“Uh, yeah, guess we are.” Rapunzel said.

Pascal grabbed Eugene’s arm, not wanting to risk being left behind. 

“We don’t like outsiders here,” The woman said, drawing a jagged dagger. “And since the Crimson Waste didn’t take care of you…we will.”

“Can you shut up?” A soft voice said, and the satyr woman went pale, whirling around to face a tall, muscular redheaded human with dark eyes and makeup. A rose and skull tattoo patterned her arm, and she held a broken bottle. She looked more than ready to shove it through the nearest person.

“There’s only two rules in the Crimson Waste,” The woman said. “One: the strong make the rules. And two: don’t annoy me when I eat.” 

The satyr woman immediately fled, looking terrified.

“Woah.” Rapunzel said, hopping down from the counter. Her eyes were shining. 

“What are you three doing here, asking these freaks for help?” The woman asked them, jerking her head in the general area of a few freaks. They didn’t dispute her. “Don’t you know you can’t trust anyone in the Crimson Waste?”

“Actually,” Eugene said, trying to grab Rapunzel. “Until now, we didn’t know there was anyone in the Crimson Waste.”

“Scoundrels, criminals, outlaws, the lot of them,” The woman shook her head. “Be careful. Next time, I won’t be around to save you.”

She sashayed away. They weren’t sure how she managed to make a sashay look tough, but she managed.

“Woah,” Rapunzel said again, and shook her head as if clearing it. “We need her!”

“Come again?” Eugene asked, watching the woman begin to flirt with the bartender.

It was too late. Rapunzel scurried up to her again, taking a seat next to her. “Hey, excuse me, hi-” She said breathlessly, and the woman scowled as the bartender left.

“I’m Rapunzel. This is Pascal and Eugene and we came to-” But the woman turned to her, and Rapunzel cut off abruptly. 

“Flower girl, Shorty, and Goatee. Got it. Lady Caine,” She glanced over them slowly, as if trying to discern who would die first. “What do you want?”

“It’s Eugene, actually,” Eugene said. “Prince Eugene.”

“Royal? Yeah, me too,” Lady Caine smiled, toothy and big. “Princess of the Crimson Waste. Can’t you tell? Or am I not sparkly enough for you?”

Eugene gulped.

“We’re looking for something in the center of the Crimson Waste,” Rapunzel said. “It’s really important we find it, and you seem to know this place well. Can you take us?”

“Did you not hear what I said about not trusting people?” Lady Caine asked. 

“Yeah, but you said that while saving us,” Rapunzel smiled widely. “So you can’t be all bad. Whaddya say?”

Pascal laughed nervously, grabbing Rapunzel’s arm. “Excuse us for a moment.”

He pulled her aside, looking worried. “Are you sure about this? All these scary people are scared of Lady Caine, which probably means we should be extra scared of her.”

Eugene nodded vigorously. “Can we just ask for a map or…?”

“A map won’t get us past scary plants and quicksand,” Rapunzel said. “Or whatever other horrible things are out there! We need a guide.”

“If I say no,” Lady Caine sighed, standing up. “You’ll just go out there anyway and get yourself killed, won’t you?”

“I mean,” Eugene said. “Not on purpose, but it seems likely-”

Lady Caine sighed deeply, grabbing a massive sword that had gone previously unnoticed, sheathing it. Rapunzel’s eyes only got wider, and Eugene and Pascal looked suitably impressed. 

“Looks like you got yourselves a guide.” Lady Caine smiled.

*** *** ***

“I know Hector told me to go away, but I have some ideas for the portal machine!” Varian told Emily, pacing the room. Emily watched him, beeping occasionally. It was nice to have someone to talk to, though he missed Ruddiger. 

Emily moved in front of him, blocking his way, beeping loudly at the bad idea. “Hey, cut it out!” Varian frowned, ducking around Emily and into the lab. He paused, seeing Hector leaning over a table, panting heavily, arms shaking.

His armor was off, and it struck Varian that he had never seen him without it. He was smaller without it, and covered in painful looking scars and burns that ate up most of his skin. A machine next to him picked off a piece of broken armor, and Hector yelled in pain, swiping at it. 

Varian backed up. “Okay, Emily, you might have a point.” 

Emily beeped with exasperation. 

Varian turned, but ever the klutz, he tripped on a loose wire, stumbling forward and knocking over a table filled with spare parts. The crash it made was bad enough, but the table upended another, and then another, until Varian was left completely exposed, surrounded by nothing but spare parts and a truly impressive crashing noise.

Hector whirled around, making eye contact with Varian. The boy gulped. “It was an accident.”

“Get out,” Hector said, his eyes filled with a fiery rage. “GET OUT-”

He stepped forward, but his face suddenly went ashen. Before Varian could do anything, Hector sank to the ground, lifeless.

The imp shrieked.

*** *** ***

“So, heh,” Rapunzel said, following close behind Lady Caine. “For a place that’s supposed to be uninhabitable, the Crimson Waste seems pretty...habited.”

“The Crimson Waste takes in all sorts,” Lady Caine said. “They come running from the law, from their enemies, from different kingdoms.”

“From the Horde?” Rapunzel asked, and Lady Caine stopped walking.

“...that war will destroy all those idiots caught up with it.” She muttered darkly. 

“So, uh, what are you running from?” Rapunzel asked.

“Lady Caine doesn’t run from anything,” She snapped, starting to walk again. “Got it? I want to be here.”

“Wait!” Rapunzel grabbed a rock, throwing it ahead of Lady Caine. It sank into the ground immediately, a victim to quicksand.

“Hm,” Lady Caine blinked. “Not bad, flower girl.”

“What can I say?” Rapunzel said, glowing under the praise. “I’m a fast learner.”

“Cocky,” Lady Caine chuckled. “I like that. Give it some time, you’ll do well here.”

Rapunzel hoped she wasn’t blushing. “Uh, no thanks. This has been...a really awful, snake-filled day. Honestly, I don’t know what we would have done without you.”

Lady Caine blinked, looking taken aback, and then grunted, continuing on.

*** *** ***

“We should say something.” Pascal groaned as night began to fall, slouching from exhaustion.

“No,” Eugene shook his head, though he was in bad shape too. “We’re being supportive. Now sh!”

“You sh!”

“No, you!”

“Sh!”

“Sh!”

This went on for several minutes, and Lady Caine glanced back. “Your travel companions are very loud.”

“It’s…” Rapunzel chuckled, a bit embarrassed. “It’s been a long trip from Corona.”

“Corona?” Lady Caine pursed her lips, picking up her pace slightly.

Pascal grabbed Rapunzel's shoulder, panting. “L-look, I know my data pad isn’t working, but I’m positive we’re going a different way. A wrong way.”

“We wouldn’t be going anywhere without Lady Caine,” Rapunzel shook her head. “It’s probably just a shortcut.”

“We’re here!” Lady Caine called out.

“See?” Rapunzel smiled, sprinting forward, with Eugene and Pascal close behind her. She rounded a bend, coming upon a huge pit with a rock sticking out of the center like a finger pointing the way. 

She frowned, sliding down the side carefully to examine the rock. “Er…” Eugene said, looking unsure. “We’re where?”

“This can’t be the center of the Crimson Waste,” Rapunzel said, turning back to Lady Caine, who hadn’t moved from the top of the pit. “There’s nothing here. There has to be something here. There-ow!”

She jumped, something stinging her above the knee. She swiped at it absently, expecting to see a wasp, but instead removed a small dart with blue feathers at the edge.

“Wha-” She stumbled, suddenly violently dizzy, and fell roughly to the ground.

“Rapunzel-” Eugene and Pascal met similar fates, and Rapunzel felt panic rise in her, fighting off the sluggishness. 

She tried to reach for her flower, but her arms felt like lead. 

“Paralyzing darts,” Lady Caine said, looking amused. “But you probably figured that out, being a fast learner and all.”

The satyr woman from the bar and a lizard thing emerged from the rocks, grinning at their leader. Lady Caine shrugged. “Outsiders are a danger to us all. Sorry, flower girl, but I did tell you not to trust anyone.”

Lady Caine began barking orders to her lackeys, but for Rapunzel, everything went black.

*** *** ***

Hector woke with a sharp gasp, unsure as to why he was wrapped in a blanket. 

“I made you soup!” He winced when he heard Varian’s bright voice, and the boy set...something in front of him. Whether or not it was soup was debatable, but it was certainly a steaming liquid with a strong aroma.

Varian noticed Hector’s look and shrugged. “I-I can’t really cook, but it’s the thought that counts, right?”

“I am not discussing this.” Hector said, utterly humiliated as he struggled to stand.

“Your armor. It’s holding you together. You’re from another planet…” Varian paced. “And your armor is compensating for your body!”

“I said, I am not discussing this.” Hector growled.

“As a scientist, I won’t stop until I figure out what’s going on!” Varian’s face looked oddly steely. “Now tell me everything!”

Hector glared at the boy, but this time, Varian didn’t relent, instead meeting Hector’s yellow stare with his own pale blue one. Hector blinked in surprise, and then dropped his head.

“Fine,” He snarled. “You want to know? I am a failure!”

He managed to stand, holding onto a table for support. “I was the top general for the Emperor of the Known Universe, Zhan Tiri. She cloned herself, building an army to conquer all she saw. But through my own skill, I clawed my way up through her ranks, and became one of her only confidents. Planets, worlds, galaxies fell before us. But...she became aware of my…” Hector paused. “Condition. And weaklings are useless to her.”

Hector swallowed hard. “I was sent to the front lines to die. But during the battle, a portal opened, and I crash-landed on Etheria, stranding me here. And with nothing but a broken ship, I built an empire. When my portal opens, I shall bring forth my sister’s armies to crush the Rebellion! And they’ll all see-Zhan Tiri will see-that they were wrong. I am not weak. I am worth something!”

He sighed, the bravado leaking out suddenly. “But my portal machine doesn’t work. I haven’t conquered the planet. I cannot even stand without my armor. Perhaps...Zhan Tiri was-what are you doing?!”

“Oh, no no no!” Varian said, digging around. “I’m listening! I heard you! I’ve got an idea, but I need the rest of my tools. Be right back!”

He sprinted out before Hector could say anything. The imp sniffed the “soup” and hissed.

*** *** ***

“Okay, ninth time’s the charm,” Eugene said, staring at the top of the deeper pit Lady Caine had tossed them into. “Everyone hold on. One, two-”

He teleported right over the top of the pit-just like he had every time before-and they fell back in. Pascal squeaked as everyone landed on top of him.

“Augh!” Eugene closed his eyes, somehow managing to teleport them right outside the pit this time. He stood up shakily, looking furious. “We’ve been tricked, robbed, temporarily paralyzed, and now we’re stuck in the middle of-”

“Eugene.” Pascal interrupted softly, looking at Rapunzel. 

She looked absolutely crushed.

“I mean…” Eugene coughed. “Yay! We’re finally out of there!”

“You okay?” Pascal asked.

Rapunzel tensed slightly. “Having...having that mission made me feel in control. After the last few days, I...needed it. I need answers. I thought if I found out more about Mara, I’d find out more about myself. Where I came from, and why.”

“And we’ll still get those answers,” Pascal said. “We’re not beat yet. Sure, this road trip has been a disaster-”

“That’s pretty standard.” Eugene said, and Rapunzel smiled.

“-but we know you’re going through a lot, and we got your back, whatever you need to do.” Pascal said. 

“And anyway,” Eugene shrugged. “You’re not the one who stole our weapons and left us stranded.”

“It’s Lady Caine.” Rapunzel said.

“Exactly! It’s Lady Caine’s fault.” Eugene nodded.

“No!” Rapunzel said, standing up and pointing at a set of thick footprints leading into the craggy peaks of the Crimson Waste. “It’s Lady Caine.”

*** *** ***

“Ooh, this is gonna be fun.” Varian said, playing with a blowtorch, and Hector felt nervous.

“I do not need your help in this.” Hector said.

“Everybody needs help sometimes,” Varian retorted. “And you shouldn’t be upset that you’re not perfect. Take Emily!”

The robot beeped happily, making Varian smile. “Her programming is glitchy, her left leg sticks, and she’s loud! Emily’s got quirks, but that’s why I like her! Imperfection is what makes scientific experimentation possible! Do you know how many times I’ve discovered a new chemical or compounds in alchemy because of something going wrong? Imperfection is beautiful!”

“Now hold still!” Varian said, flipping down his goggles. “And you’re really way too obsessed with this whole failure thing. I mean, I’m a failure.”

Hector blinked. “You are not-”

“Sh!” Varian said. “I don’t fit in. I became friends with Rapunzel, but she abandoned me. Then I became friends with Cassandra, but I don’t think she likes me anymore. But that doesn’t mean I give up!”

He pressed a button, and the machines surrounded Hector. He stood up suddenly, nearly falling over, but their metal appendages helped him stand. “I scourged up more pieces of First Ones tech, and I can’t think of a better use for them than this!” Varian explained, and Hector tried to hold still.

It stung a little, but when the machines backed off, Hector was wearing a new set of armor. And it no longer felt clunky and hard. It didn’t bump and hit his body. It felt...natural. Strong. 

“Your armor is more of an exoskeleton now,” Varian said, as if it were a casual thing. “The tech is compensating for your organic body. What does it feel like?”

Hector smiled, clenching and unclenching his fist. “Powerful.”

He paused, and coughed awkwardly. “I...acknowledge the work you put into this. It is very...technologically sound. And...no matter what you say, you are not a failure. Any who discount you are utter fools!”

“Thanks,” Varian smiled. “I like being friends with you too.”

*** *** ***

“Why’d you take the flower?” The satyr woman-Mallory-asked, fiddling with Pascal’s arrows.

“Thought it might be worth something. Quit playing with those. The last one exploded.” Lady Caine snapped, examining the flower she had taken from the girl with short brown hair.

“Aw…” Mallory smiled. “I think Caine liked ‘em.”

Lady Caine turned, her face dark. “I did what I had to do to keep us safe.”

“You mean, what you had to do,” Mallory chuckled. “You act all tough, but you’re running scared. Just like the rest of us.”

Lady Caine whirled around, and Mallory shrank back, suddenly aware she had gone too far. “I don’t run away from anything. I’m Lady Caine of the Crimson Waste.”

“That’s nice,” A new voice said, and the group whirled around to see a man with a big grin on his face. “I’m Prince Eugene of Corona, and I sparkle!”

He flung a ball of light at Mallory, and she stumbled back with a wail. He grabbed the arrows and bow and teleported away. Lady Caine tensed, ready for an attack. 

Instead, Rapunzel tackled her, perhaps unwisely. 

Arrows rained down on Mallory, and Eugene began to taunt the lizard man into running into mountain sides.

“That’s mine!” Rapunzel said, trying to grab the flower.

“Come and take it!” Lady Caine threw Rapunzel off of her, reaching for her sword-which Rapunzel now held.

Rapunzel smiled cheekily. “Missing something?”

Lady Caine charged her, and Rapunzel swung. Even without a weapon, Lady Caine was a formidable opponent, easily dodging Rapunzel’s swing and using nothing but her hands to deliver blows. A desperate plan formed in Rapunzel’s mind, and she stepped forward messily, allowing Lady Caine to lunge. At the last moment, she turned her shoulder, checking the redhead hard. Lady Caine dropped the flower, and Eugene teleported in, snatching it.

“Quick! Time for the Sundrop!” He shoved it into Rapunzel’s hand.

“Wait!” Lady Caine scrambled to stand up, looking shocked. “You know about the Sundrop?”

“Know about her?” Rapunzel allowed herself a cocky smile. “I am the Sundrop. For the honor of Der Sonne!”

A bright flash of light illuminated the desert, and Lady Caine scrambled back at the sight of the massive blonde woman before her. “The Sundrop...is a person?”

“Where did you hear about the Sundrop?” Said heroine asked. “After all, it’s not something they teach you in the Horde.”

Lady Caine dropped her head. “I was a Horde soldier. They told us we were heroes, freeing Etheria from the evil Royals...but when I saw what they were doing, how Hector just threw soldiers away...well, you know what we saw. You were one of us. That’s where you learned to fight, isn’t it? I’d recognize that training anywhere.”

“You deserted. I did too. And I joined the Rebellion.” The Sundrop said.

“Then you’re a fool,” Lady Caine sighed. “One girl can’t make a difference against the Horde, even a tall, shiny girl with a ton of hair like you. It’s useless to try.”

“Maybe,” The Sundrop said softly. “But I’m not alone. I won’t stand by and watch people get hurt. And I won’t run away.”

Lady Caine looked away, but the Sundrop went up to her fearlessly. “Lady Caine, I need your help. I need you to help us find what we came here for. Together, we can bring this war to an end!”

“You need,” Mallory said, a knife to Eugene’s throat. “To drop your weapons.”

“Shoot,” Eugene gasped, seeing Pascal was in a similar situation. “I thought we had them.”

“Come on, Lady Caine,” Mallory said. “Let’s grab our loot and go.”

Lady Caine sighed, stood up-and charged Mallory with a sword.

Mallory shrieked, letting Eugene go instantly and turning to run, but Lady Caine grabbed her and threw her into the lizard. The two fell into a tangled heap, and then scrambled to their feet to run away into the desert night. 

“You’re right,” Lady Caine said. “What I saw in the Horde scared me, and I ran. But I’m not gonna run anymore.”

She turned to the Sundrop. “I face my problems head on. And if you’re trying to stop the war, then...then I’ll do what I can to help you. Now come on,” She nodded. “We got a lot of ground to cover before we reach the ship.”

“Ship?” Pascal asked.

*** *** ***

The sun peaked over a sharp tip, but it wasn’t a mountain.

“Rapunzel…” Eugene gasped, staring. “What is that?”

Something stuck out of the sand, massive, metal, and weathered. In the shadows, it almost looked like a rock, but even from here, Rapunzel could see the First Ones writing covering it.

“It’s…” Her eyes widened. “It’s Mara’s ship.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they literally made lady caine so buff, so pretty, so badass, and for what? cause they knew the sapphics would be watching. everybody say thank you tangled the series
> 
> also, somewhat bad news. updates for this book will now be only every wednesday, and after this book is finished, it's going on hiatus. this book was honestly never something i was particularly excited about, and what with a HEAVY courseload coming up next semester, i wanna be able to remain consistent with my main project atm, "Oh, Your Love Is Sunlight", and also a side project that's coming up on december fifteenth
> 
> thank you for understanding!


	10. Lance and Cassandra's Big Day Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, its wednesday, and ive published two more aus, one stars wars because i am pathetic and one modern au. i suggest you check them both out!!!!

It was difficult for Cassandra to decide which she hated more; the biting cold of Krestin Lock, or the searing heat of the Crimson Waste.

She was sure, though, that Lance had made each time worse.

“Hey, Cassandra!” He stumbled after her, having difficulty on the loose sand. “Man, you are fast on the sand...what are we looking at?” He squinted against the glare of the sun, peering into the endless wasteland.

“I’m looking at the Crimson Waste,” Cassandra growled. “The place Hector sent me to die. I have no idea what you’re doing, because I’m pretty sure the last thing I told you to do was leave me alone.”

“I know,” Lance smiled. “It was so noble of you. You pushed me away in order to save me. But it only brought us closer together.”

“Oh joy,” Cassandra grumbled, and then sighed deeply. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters anymore. You know what I see here?” She gestured ahead.

“A tumbleweed?” Lance asked.

“No-well, yes, but more importantly, all my hard work ignored because of one mistake. My dreams turning to dust before my eyes.” 

She paused, squinting when a dust cloud passed, revealing the massive skeleton of some long dead creature. It looked habited. “But mainly, I’m looking at that.”

*** *** ***

Cassandra pushed aside the curtain, praying her luck would hold for once, and she’d have a nice place to hide and sulk for a while, alone. (Except for Lance)

Of course, that wasn’t the case.

If every single inhabitant of the bar wasn’t looking at Cassandra before, they did when she groaned loudly, furious at the fact that others around her existed. 

“I thought the Crimson Waste was uninhabited.” Lance said, looking around.

“Of course Hector was wrong,” Cassandra snapped, stomping inside. “He’s a shut-in who lives in his lab and doesn’t know how to do anything. Why am I surprised at this?!”

She glanced at a lizard man sitting on a stool, and didn’t even hesitate before pushing him off. “Move it. I’m tired.”

The lizard yelped, and hissed loudly at Cassandra. Cassandra hissed back, not caring that she looked more stupid for it. It seemed to do the trick, though, as the lizard man looked surprised and backed away. Cassandra took her seat, glaring daggers at someone else in shiny armor, who quickly looked away.

“Hey, Cassandra, I’m not questioning your leadership or anything,” Lance said quickly. “But maybe we shouldn’t pick on the heavily armed crowd?”

“Yeah?” Cassandra scoffed. “What’re they gonna do? Send me to die in the Crimson Waste? Oh no, better watch myself.”

“Good riddance to that Sundrop girl.” Someone said behind her, and Cassandra whirled around. 

“You’re kidding.” Cassandra said to herself.

A satyr woman took a long swig of something sour, and huffed. “If I ever see that arrow boy, his sparkling friend, or that angry blonde again, I’ll-”

“Which way did they go?” Cassandra said, spinning her stool to face the satyr woman and her companion, who happened to be the out-hissed lizard man. 

The satyr turned to her, looking her up and down. “Who are you?”

“You said there was a boy with arrows, a sparkly guy, and a blonde. So which way did they go?” Cassandra asked.

The satyr woman chuckled. “Buzz off, short hair.”

“What, are you too dumb to answer a simple question? Ust point, genius, and I’ll figure it out.” Cassandra asked innocently, smiling when the satyr woman looked furious. 

“Um, Cassandra?” Lance asked nervously.

“What?!”

Lance coughed, carefully pulling her aside. “Hector sent us here to track down tech, not Rapunzel. So, why do we need to know which way they were going?”

“Because Rapunzel and her friends are always after the same thing we are,” Cassandra said. “Of course they’re in the middle of nowhere!”

“So spit it out!” She grabbed the satyr, who looked surprised. “Where are they going?!”

The satyr woman scowled, pushing Cassandra off. “There are only two rules in the Crimson Waste,” She stood up, and had a good foot and a half on Cassandra. “One, the strong make the rules-”

Cassandra started laughing.

And then kept laughing. It built in volume, loud and raucous, and pretty soon she was leaning on the table to keep from toppling over. The bar stalled, the patrons staring at her. Usually, people about to get pummeled didn’t laugh hysterically.

“So here’s the thing,” Cassandra said, managing to take a shaky breath. “I’ve done this. The whole threatening people bit, the intimidation. I’ve been there. And I just. Don’t. Care. Anymore.”

The smile died away instantly, and despite the height disadvantage, Cassandra was holding all the power in a second. The satyr woman looked nervous, but didn’t back down yet. 

“Some people have a bad day,” Cassandra said, casually taking out her dagger and carving deep gashes in the table. “I’ve had a bad life. If I want something, it’s taken from me.”

She hopped on top of the table in one fluid motion. “If I win a battle, I lose a war. See, buddy, threats only work on someone with something to lose. But me?”

The dagger was suddenly inches away from the woman’s face. “I’ve already lost it all.”

She smiled at the other’s stricken expression. “You can’t be any good at this, because you just let yourself get distracted.”

The lizard man suddenly collapsed, instantly unconscious from a sudden blow from Lance, who smiled winningly. The satyr woman gasped. “So,” Cassandra drawled, picking up her chin with the tip of her dagger. “What’ll it be?”

The satyr gulped. “Y-you know, we don’t really think of you as an outsider. You’re okay with us. We’ll take you anywhere you wanna go, boss.”

“Boss?” Cassandra repeated, testing out the word. It was nice. New. Powerful and easy. 

She glanced to the side, catching the eye of the armored patron from before. They coughed, turning away and pretending not to notice her. 

Cassandra smiled. “Good.”

*** *** ***

“I can’t believe I’m standing in front of Mara’s ship.” Rapunzel said.

“How do you know it’s Mara’s?” Eugene asked.

“It has to be,” Rapunzel said. “What other ships do we know of?”

“I don’t know who Mara is, but that ship definitely says your name.” Lady Caine said. 

“What?” Rapunzel blinked. “It says my name?”

“Not Rapunzel. The Sundrop.” Lady Caine explained. 

“This is amazing!” Pascal said. “A First Ones ship! Can you imagine what’s inside?!”

*** *** ***

“Nothing.” Eugene said dully, looking around the rotted, empty ship. 

Rapunzel frowned, tracing her fingers along the rusty walls. “This can’t be it. Where’s the message coming from?”

“Has this ship always been here?” Eugene asked.

“The Waste got hit with the mother of all dust storms,” Lady Caine said. “When it cleared, this was unearthed.”

“And then people stole everything they could pry up and take.” Pascal said grimly. 

Lady Caine shrugged. “Maybe they should have bolted everything down. No one comes here anymore.”

“Because there’s nothing left to steal?” Eugene asked.

“Well, yeah,” Lady Caine shrugged. “But it’s also super haunted.”

“Sundrop. Etheria. Gone.” A voice echoed out on cue, and Pascal shrieked, hiding behind LAdy Caine.

“Where is that voice coming from? And where’s the door?” Rapunzel asked. “This ship is massive, but the room is tiny. There has to be a door somewhere!”

She turned on her heel, stumbling on a groove in the floor. She glanced down and paused.

There was an intricate pattern in the floor, geometric and vaguely reminiscent of a flower. “...hold on.” She withdrew the flower, pressing it gently in the center of the pattern. It began to glow brightly, humming with energy. 

The glow spread, soft and warm, encompassing the room and lighting up a tall mural of the Sundrop, standing tall and proud with her hair and flower. A door slid open, groaning in protest at the movement.

“Sundrop. Etheria. Gone.” The voice echoed from inside, pleading and desperate. 

*** *** ***

“Oh, boy, you really had them going!” Lance smiled. “I’ve never seen a room of murderous thugs look so freaked out before!”

Cassandra smiled, pleased with her victory, and even more pleased with the armor she had taken from the one patron. It had been easy, really. She had pointed at it, and he had stripped it off without a second thought.

“What, those washed up hacks?” Cassandra chuckled, clenching and unclenching her fists, liking the feel of the armor. “They needed to be taught what happens when they threaten me.”

“They won’t be bothering us anymore, that’s for sure!” Lance laughed.

“You know, I’m starting to think this place has a bad rap.” Cassandra said. 

“Oh, for sure!” Lance said. “It’s nice and toasty, if you look for ground ripples, you can avoid quicksand, and we’ve got our little lackeys here!” He motioned to the satyr and her lizard friends, who flinched at being noticed.

“And you can take whatever you want!” Cassandra said. “The meaner you are, the more they listen. Watch.”

She darted in front of the satyr. “Give me your dart gun!”

“Oh!” The satyr stumbled, grabbing the dart gun off her belt. “H-here!” She shoved it into Cassandra’s hands.

“See?” Cassandra grinned. “I’m gonna call you Kyle.”

Lance burst out laughing, and the satyr blinked. “Er, it’s actually-”

“Shut up and keep walking, Kyle!” Cassandra barked, and Kyle flinched.

“G-got it!” She ducked her head down, sweating. 

“This is fun.” Lance said, still laughing. 

Cassandra blinked, looking surprised by the statement. “Yeah,” She said, her voice soft. “It...it is.”

Lance froze, looking at her with wide eyes. Cassandra’s scowl returned. “Stop it right now or I take it back.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re doing that thing with your face where it's obvious what you’re thinking.”

“You mean...smiling?”

Cassandra sighed, continuing on. “I’m just acknowledging-hey!” She stumbled when Lance pulled her back. Wordlessly, he pointed at the ground. It was rippling slightly, the texture of thick soup. Cassandra tossed a rock ahead, watching it sink into the quicksand.

“...we make a good team, that’s it.” Cassandra finished her thought, and Lance nearly squealed.

“R-right! A good team!” He was smiling so widely it looked like it hurt. 

Cassandra chuckled in spite of herself, walking around the quicksand. A few pebbles fell in front of her, and she paused, listening intently. 

Shuffling. 

In a second, her dagger was out and aimed at Kyle’s throat. “What are you trying to pull?!”

“Nothing!” Kyle yelped, eyes bugging. “What are you talking about?!”

“Cassandra? What’s going on?” Lance asked, looking startled by her mood shift. 

“I’ll tell you what’s going on,” Cassandra snarled. “Kyle here wasn’t paying attention, and led us right into an ambush!”

As if on cue, lizard creature emerged from the shadows, squealing in excitement to each other. “Well, well…” A massive lizard creature stepped out, grinning. He clutched a long sword that was over half of Cassandra’s height. “Fresh meat!”

*** *** ***

“We do this on three,” Eugene said. “One, two, three!”

The door opened, and Rapunzel stepped in instantly, followed a few seconds later by a less than excited Pascal and Eugene. 

The room was massive and dark, with a huge seat in the middle of it. Long quiet controls lined the walls, a thick layer of dust covering them. 

“Woah.” Pascal said, immediately losing fear in the wake of such a discovery. He traced his fingers along the seat and jumped when a flickering projection suddenly appeared. His eyes widened. “This is it!” He pointed at what appeared to be some kind of map. “This is the same message from my data pad!”

The map disappeared, and a swirling mess of a purple hologram appeared, eerily distorted and speaking in a garbled voice. Pascal jumped, startled. 

The hologram came into focus; a tall woman with impossibly long hair seemed to stare straight at Rapunzel. “I am Mara,” She said, her face devoid of emotion. “The Sundrop of Etheria. And I am gone.”

“Mara!” Rapunzel stepped forward. “I have so many questions for you, I don’t even know where to start-”

The hologram flickered again, and Rapunzel stepped back, surprised. “I am Mara,” The projection said again. “The Sundrop of Etheria. And I am gone.”

“That’s unsettling.” Lady Caine said.

“No, no no no,” Rapunzel said desperately. “This isn’t it! I’ve done this before, there’s usually a password or something...Eternia!”

Nothing happened.

“I have the flower. I’m the Sundrop!” Rapunzel said, but the hologram looped again. “Administrator detected! Speak to me!”

“I am Mara. The Sundrop of Etheria. And I am gone.”

Rapunzel swallowed hard. “Of course it’s on a loop. Of course it is! Why would a hologram give me a straight answer?! Solve a puzzle. Train. Let go. I do everything they tell me, waiting for answers, and all I’m left with is...is…!”

Her eyes were starting to burn with tears, and she glared furiously at the hologram. “Why was I taken from my family?! Why was I forced to become a soldier?! Why did I come here if this was nothing but another dead end?!”

She slammed her fist against the control panel, and froze when something purple flickered. There was a divet in the control panel about the same size as her flower. Without a second thought, desperate for any possibilities, she practically shoved the flower into the shape. 

It flickered, and the room lit up with a gentle blue glow. “Look!” Eugene gasped.

Someone-a hologram-was sitting on the chair in the center of the room, leaning over as if in pain. 

It was Mara, crying.

“I don’t have much time,” Mara said, her voice thick and face marred with bruises and wounds. “I barely made it out. If you’re seeing this-” She flickered. “-it means you have the flower. You are the new Sundrop.”

Rapunzel stepped forward, eyes wide. Mara winced, giving a strangled cry of pain and clutching her side tightly. “It means I failed,” Mara said. “I was supposed to be the last.” 

Her eyes filled with new tears at a sorrow Rapunzel didn’t understand. “And I am so, so sorry.”

*** *** ***

The lizards hissed and wailed, excited for bloodshed, and Cassandra wrinkled her nose. “Oh no,” Kyle said. “It’s Tung Lashor!”

Cassandra laughed. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Tung Lashor leads the number two gang in the Crimson Waste. He’s been itching to push Lady Caine out for years and become number one,” Kyle gulped. “With her gone, they’d run this place.”

“And it looks like today is our lucky day,” Tung Lashor chuckled, spinning the long sword with ease. “I never thought you’d be dumb enough to step foot out here without Lady Caine. But here you are! And now, I’m gonna leave your bones as a warning to all who cross Tung Lashor, strongest in the Crimson Waste!”

Cassandra grinned. “It sounds even stupider the second time! Seriously, Tung Lashor? Who came up with that?”

“Right?” Lance chuckled. “What, did you lose a bet?”

Lashor blinked, and then growled. “You done, outsider?”

“You kidding? I’m just getting started,” Cassandra stepped forward. “First, the bones thing is way too much. But I’m sure around here, you’re consider vewwy scawwy.” She cooed. 

Lashor snarled, his grip on the sword tightening.

“Second, they’re not with this Lady Caine anymore,” Cassandra nodded at Kyle and the lizard. “They’re with me. And third…” She paused. “You know, I like that sword. I’ll be taking it.”

“Is that so?” Lashor smiled, teeth sharp and jagged. “Big talk for such a little-”

“Do you know how to use a longsword?” Lance asked.

“Can’t be that hard if this guy uses it.” Cassandra said.

Lashor blinked. “Hang on-”

“I used a longsword in Force Captain training once. Wasn’t a huge fan, maybe you’ll have better luck.”

“Oh, really? What was it like?”

“I mean, it’s heavy, but not as heavy as you expected, so you gotta really focus on balance so you don’t tip.”

“Is there a stance or something?”

“I mean, I think so, but I don’t think-”

“ENOUGH!” Lashor shouted. “I’m gonna wipe that smirk off your face, outsider! Who’s the strongest in the Crimson Waste!”

“Lashor! Lashor!” His gang chanted. 

“And don’t you forget it!” Lashor charged with a shriek, singling out Cassandra. Lance tried to help, but an arrow narrowly missed his shoulder, warning him not to interfere. 

Cassandra dodged easily, focusing on her agility to keep her a step ahead. But Lashor managed to trip her, and Cassandra yelped, hitting the ground hard. He grabbed her by the leg, hoisting her upside down. “Where’s all that big talk now, sweetheart?” He cackled.

Cassandra made a face. “Ugh, your breath is awful.” 

She threw dust in his face, and he dropped her with a yelp. Cassandra swept his legs out, and pushed him back-into the quicksand.

Lashor thrashed, but it only made him sink faster. “And I’ll take that. Thanks.” Cassandra plucked the longsword from him, ignoring his cries for help.

“Piece of cake.” She grinned at Lance, and sheathed the sword at her side. She turned to the gathered gang, every single reptilian eye open in shock. “Now who’s the strongest in the Crimson Waste?!”

There was silence, and then Lance began to chant ‘Cassandra’, and then Kyle joined in, looking excited by the fight. Then the gang, and their cheers drowned out Lashor’s screams, echoing in the waste

“And don’t you forget it!” Cassandra said, and then paused, taking out the sword. “Here,” She handed it to Lance. “You at least have experience. I prefer my daggers anyway.”

Lance smiled.

*** *** ***

“I don’t know what they told you, but it wasn’t all bad at first,” Mara said. “We were the first to settle Etheria and study the planet’s magic. How...how could it go so wrong?”

Mara looked scared. “Light Hope-” She flickered. “Can’t-” More flickering. “Weapon-don’t-”

“What weapon?!” Rapunzel asked. She turned to Pascal. “How’s it going? Have you fixed it?”

“I’m trying,” Pascal said, fiddling with the controls. “But I think the message got damaged when the ship crashed.”

“I opened a portal to a completely empty dimension and pulled Etheria in,” Mara continued. “I hid us from the rest of the universe to keep us safe. This is the one place they’ll never find us.”

Mara swallowed hard. “I saw what they would do. The deaths that would follow. I couldn’t stop them before, but I can now. It’s my only option. Maybe it’s been a week. Maybe it’s been thousands of years.”

“I never wanted to be a hero,” Mara nearly whispered. “And I won’t be remembered as one.”

An alarm blared, and Mara’s eyes widened. She looked...so afraid. “You have the flower now. It is the Administrator Key to the planet. With it, you can activate a portal. So I’m begging you. Don’t do it. Leave us here. If you open a portal, death and destruction will follow. For the good of the universe, Etheria must stay in Despondos! If not, everyone will-”

The hologram buzzed, and abruptly shut off. Rapunzel felt...she had no idea how to feel.

The silence was ruined by a slow clapping. And it wasn’t one of them. 

“Who’s there?!” Lady Caine snarled, drawing her sword. “Come out and face me!”

Eugene and Pascal flinched suddenly, and then collapsed, brightly colored darts in their necks. Lady Caine sprang forward, knocking a dart away seconds before it hit Rapunzel.

Figures emerged from the shadows. The lizard and satyr with Lady Caine before, and then more reptilians, each smiling with malice. Lady Caine’s face wrinkled in disgust. “You joined Tung Lashor?!”

“They haven’t joined him.” A new voice said, and Rapunzel flinched.

Cassandra stepped out, wearing shiny armor. She smiled. “They joined me,” She leaned against Mara’s chair. “Hey, Raps.”

The satyr woman blew another dart, but Lady Caine jumped in front of Rapunzel, and promptly collapsed. Rapunzel sprinted for her flower, but a sudden swipe from a sword made her stumble back, and Lance stepped in front of her, tossing the flower to Cassandra. 

“This might be the quickest I’ve ever won a fight,” Cassandra mused. “Always so dramatic with you, isn’t it?”

Lady Caine stirred, managing to get to her feet. “Lady Caine!” Rapunzel said shrilly. “Get my friends out!”

Lady Caine grabbed Pascal and Eugene and started sprinting, despite the dart in her shoulder. 

Rapunzel opened her mouth to say something, anything, but a dart found her, and everything went black.

*** *** ***

The gang cheered, raising their various beverages in the air. “A toast to driving Lady Caine out of the Crimson Waste!” Kyle shouted, and Cassandra smiled. This Kyle was starting to grow on her. 

The patrons roared in approval. “A toast to all this new loot!” Kyle continued, motioning to the pulled up ship parts. 

“And a toast,” Kyle turned to Cassandra, who was lounging on the massive seat, the flower dangling loosely in her grip. “To Boss Cassandra, the best leader we’ve ever had.”

“Oh, please,” Cassandra said when the cheers grew louder than ever before. “You flatter me.”

She caught sight of someone behind the seat, and stood up. “And Lance!” She said. “A toast to Lance!”

They cheered, and Lance blinked, looking surprised by the positive reaction. “Aw, you guys are so sweet…”

Cassandra grabbed his arm, dragging him outside the ship and into the cool desert night. “Can you believe this?!” She asked, looking deliciously happy, without a trace of meanness to it. “They said this was called a ‘party’. I like it! When we go back, we’re gonna have a lot more parties.”

Lance’s smile faltered slightly. “The crazy desert lady got away.”

“Eh, let her,” Cassandra shrugged. “We got the most important thing right here!” She held up the flower. “You heard that hologram. This little plant is the key to the whole planet. When I bring this back to the Fright Zone, Hector will see me for what I’m worth, and I’ll be back on top.”

“Or…” Lance said slowly. “We don’t go back at all?”

“What?” Cassandra looked genuinely confused. “Why wouldn’t we go back?

“Because you hate it there?” Lance said. 

“I...don’t.” Cassandra sounded unconvinced.

“Hear me out,” Lance said quickly. “Within like, a day, you’ve defeated the gangs ruling the Crimson Waste and made yourself their leader. This is the happiest I’ve ever seen you! In fact, this is the first time I’ve seen you happy, period.”

Cassandra was quiet.

“So why would we go back?” Lance asked. “Let’s stay here. Forget Hector. Forget Rapunzel. Forget all of them. We could rule the Crimson Waste together, just the two of us! We could, you know, be happy.”

“I...I don’t…” Cassandra turned away suddenly, hunched in on herself. “I have to go check on the prisoner.”

She left before Lance could say anything else.

*** *** ***

“Cassandra, you can’t do this!” Rapunzel shouted, straining against the ropes binding her hand behind her. 

“Well, hello to you too.” Cassandra chuckled. She tossed the flower between her hands. “What can’t I do this time?”

“Hector is trying to open a portal,” Rapunzel said desperately. “He wants to bring the rest of the Horde army to Etheria. We can’t let that happen!”

“The rest of the Horde army?” Cassandra grinned. “Never a dull moment with you. Why would I be against the Horde? That means we win, and you lose.”

“We’ll all lose if Hector uses his portal machine!” Rapunzel shouted. “Light Hope and Mara said opening a portal will endanger everyone!”

“You’ll listen to anything holograms tell you, won’t you?” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Poor, sweet, naive Rapunzel. Besides, how do you know what Hector’s doing?”

“Gothel told me.” Rapunzel said.

Cassandra blinked, her face suddenly going blank. “Gothel told you? How exactly did Gothel tell you this?”

“You...you really don’t know?” Rapunzel looked surprised.

“Answer me!” Cassandra snapped, barely concealed panic behind her eyes.

“Cass,” Rapunzel said softly, her heart breaking for her, though she didn’t quite know why. “Gothel’s in Corona.”

Cassandra stood up suddenly as though Rapunzel had lunged at her, stumbling back. Her face was a mess of emotions, and she touched her cheek softly. “She left me for you.” She whispered hoarsely. 

Then a single emotion won out-deep, painful rage. “All of this happened because of _you_.”

“Cass?” Rapunzel asked, but Cassandra turned, beginning to walk away. “Cass, Cass, no no wait! Cassandra, please listen to me!”

But she was gone.

*** *** ***

_Gothel left, Gothel left you for Rapunzel, but are you really surprised? She stayed long enough to get what she needed from you, and then left you to clean up her mess. What’s so awful, so broken inside you that everyone tosses you aside?_

_Maybe it’s Rapunzel. The only reason they tolerated you is because she liked you. But once she saw something was wrong with you, she left, and there was no reason to keep up the act anymore._

_You idiot. You idiot._

_You let Gothel **touch** you._

“Hey, Cassandra!” Lance waved at her, and then paused when he noticed her expression. “Have...were you crying?”

Cassandra stared Lance in the eye, her face red and blotchy and making no attempt to hide it.

“We’re going back. We are going to open a portal.”

One last rebellious tear slipped out, and Cassandra didn’t move to scrub it away.

“And we are going to _crush them all._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> damn cassie u good?


	11. Left in Anger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KEEP FORGETTING THIS BOOK EXISTS
> 
> ALSO HAPPY HOLIDAYS YALL

Stalyan shrieked, falling off her seat in the war room when suddenly Eugene appeared next next to her, holding onto Pascal and a tall redhead she didn’t recognize.

“Ha!” Eugene took a moment to call attention to her fall, before collapsing himself. 

“Eugene?!” Angella stood up, looking startled.

“I’m okay!” Eugene said hoarsely, looking around the war room, all the Royals staring at him for interrupting their meeting. “Good, everyone’s here.”

“Who’s that?” Fidella asked, staring at the redhead with shiny eyes.

“That’s Lady Caine,” Eugene gestured vaguely. “She’s the leader of the Crimson Waste. Or at least, she was. We don’t have time to get into it. We need to get to the Fright Zone!”

“The world doesn’t stop just because you aren’t here,” Angella sighed. “We have been planning our attack on the Horde.”

“Good timing,” Pascal said. “Because Cassandra just kidnapped Rapunzel.”

The Royals went silent.

Angella froze. “The Horde has Rapunzel?”

“Which also means they can open a portal because they have the flower.” Eugene said seriously. 

“What?” Angella shook her head. “Eugene, I don’t understand-”

“There’s no time to waste!” Eugene practically shouted. 

“Eugene, slow down.” Angella’s voice was filled with a warning tone she hadn’t had to use in a long time.

“We need to get to the Fright Zone now.” Eugene countered, ready for a battle. 

“‘We’?!” Angella asked. “We are not going anywhere until you explain!”

She stood up suddenly, and her wings spread out, grand and imposing. Eugene backed up, surprised by it. “Outside,” His mother, who happened to be a queen, snapped. “NOW!”

*** *** ***

“This suit may be my best work yet!” Varian grinned, kicking his legs childishly from his oversized seat. “If it went as well as the portal machine...we’re still missing a piece that’ll let us cut through planetary interference. If we try now, the portal won’t be stable for long enough to let anyone through.”

Hector frowned. “We only need the portal open for a short period of time. Long enough to send a signal to Zhan Tiri. Once she receives it, she should have no trouble opening a portal from the other side.”

“And then…” Varian frowned. “You’ll...you’ll have to go with them.” 

The lab filled with silence.

Varian forced himself to smile. “B-but there’s still so much data to collect! What’s the rush? We’ll just keep working on it until it’s perfect.”

The door to the lab opened, and something shimmered in the shadows. Cassandra stepped out, dragging a bound and gagged Rapunzel with a huge grin on her face.

She was holding the flower. 

Cassandra pushed Rapunzel forward, flanked by Lance and two others that Hector and Varian didn’t recognize. Rapunzel landed with a muffled yelp, and promptly resumed thrashing. 

The flower suddenly began to glow, and the computers around them buzzed with static. Cassandra looked around, shrugged, and then tossed the flower at Hector’s feet. “What?” She chuckled. “Didn’t expect to see me again? I got what you needed. This flower is the key to the whole planet.”

Varian hummed, picking up the sword. Rapunzel’s shouting renewed as he examined it. “I suppose that makes sense...the Sundrop’s flower is First Ones tech. Some of the most powerful I’ve ever seen! All this time, this was the key we needed!”

Varian didn’t seem all too excited though. “I...I guess I should figure out how it works…”

Cassandra scowled. “I brought you everything you need to open a portal and finish the Royals off for good. What are you waiting for?”

*** *** ***

“We’re wasting too much time!” Eugene shouted. He knew the others had to be listening on the other side of the door, ears pressed close to hear the argument, but he was too scared for Rapunzel to care. “We need to act! The Horde has Rapunzel and the flower!”

“And then what?! How are you going to get in?” Angella snapped. “You have no plan. We are not rushing in. I won’t lose anyone else.”

“Before I started rushing in, the Rebellion hadn’t made a move in years! You need me!”

“I need you to be a leader, and that means not running off whenever you like!”

“What’s the point?” Eugene said bitterly. “You’ll always be around to tell me what I can’t do!”

“You never listen,” Angella said tensely. “I try and try to reach out, to trust you-”

Eugene scoffed. “You wanna talk about trust?! How come you never told me that Gothel was dad’s old teacher?”

Angella stepped back as though pushed, her eyes wide. “I…” She swallowed hard. “It was a long time ago.”

“You know what?” Eugene let out a breath. “We should be talking to her. She knows the Horde.”

“She can’t be trusted.” Angella argued. 

“We have to do something!” Eugene paced. “You would see that if you weren’t totally paralyzed by fear!”

Angella blinked, and then her face grew stony. Eugene stepped back, suddenly realizing he had crossed a line he wasn’t even aware of. 

“I am your queen,” Angella said calmly. “And I say we cannot afford to lose anyone else. Either come up with a reasonable plan, _Commander_ Eugene, or stay out of the way.”

“Mom-” Eugene started, but Angella pushed past him and out of the room, paying no attention to Pascal and the eavesdropping princesses. 

Eugene stared at the stained glass depiction of his father, fists clenched. 

*** *** ***

“With the flower connected to the portal machine, we should finally be able to bypass planetary interference.” Varian said, adjusting the flower carefully on a stand to connect it to the machine.

“I just have no idea how it works.” Varian admitted.

“Must she be here?” Hector asked, watching Rapunzel thrashing and yell through her rope and gags, fighting to get away. 

“Um, I dunno,” Varian said. “I’m not sure if we just need the flower or if we need the Sundrop too. Do you know?” He yanked down the gag.

“No,” Rapunzel snapped. “And if I did know, I wouldn’t tell the Horde!”

“That’s okay,” Varian said. “I like figuring stuff out.”

“Varian, please,” Rapunzel pleaded. “You don’t want to do this.”

“Silence!” Hector snapped before Varian could respond. He nodded at the boy. “Begin.”

Varian frowned, but rushed off to begin his process. Rapunzel glared at Hector. “You,” She hissed. “You took me away from my family when I was a baby. You lied to me my whole life about the Royals, about Etheria, about who I am!”

“I could not have lied to you about who you are,” Hector said calmly. “I have never known nor cared about someone as inconsequential as you.”

“You should care,” Rapunzel said, her voice sharper than a sword. “Because I’m the one who’s gonna make sure you fail.”

“I will not fail!” Hector declared. “You have no power to stop me. I am going to open that portal, and I am going to use your own flower to wipe out the rest of your pathetic Rebellion once and for-”

He grunted, electricity suddenly crackling along his armor. Varian rushed to him, reaching out to help, but Hector smacked his hand away. “Get it to work!” He ordered.

The flower suddenly hummed with new energy, beginning to float on its stand. Varian gasped, and squealed in excitement. 

Heedless of Rapunzel’s look of horror.

*** *** ***

“This is a bad idea.” Pascal said, staring at the two Corona guards from around the corner.

“It’s a great idea!” Eugene corrected. Pascal made a face, and Eugene sighed. “Okay, yeah, it’s terrible, but what choice do we have?”

“I wanna help as much as you do, but Gothel?” Pascal asked. 

“Rapunzel needs us now. And Gothel would know all about the Fright Zone’s weak points. Let’s at least talk to her.” He grabbed Pascal’s hand before he could protest, teleporting to the inside of the room.

“Prince Eugene.” A low voice drawled, and Eugene scowled at the old woman sitting in a seat surrounded by a force field spell, reading a book.

Gothel smiled. “It’s about time.”

“You knew we were coming?” Eugene asked.

“Him,” She motioned to Pascal. “I had no idea about. But you...you’re smart, and you want to stop the Horde. And you know I’m the only one who can help you. Although I must admit, I thought it would take you longer to speak with me, what with...oh, our less-than-ideal first meeting. No hard feelings, right?”

“Cassandra kidnapped Rapunzel in the Crimson Waste,” Eugene said, unwilling to entertain her. “We need to get her back, before the Horde uses her to open a portal.”

Gothel’s eyes widened. “The machine is complete? They have Rapunzel?” She stood up suddenly. “Then we must hurry. If Hector has the opportunity to open a portal, he will do so immediately. The Alliance will never get there in time-” She paused. “But perhaps…”

“What? What is it?” Eugene stepped forward.

“Let me out and I can help you teleport right into the heart of the Fright Zone.” Gothel said. 

“Me?” Eugene scoffed. “I couldn’t even get to the edge of the Fright Zone without running out of power. I’m nowhere near strong enough.”

“But I can make you stronger,” Gothel said earnestly. “I’m still the only sorceress who has ever been able to tap into a Runestone. If you allow me to access your connection to the Moonstone, I can enhance your powers. You could teleport us all the way there.”

“Uh, us?” Pascal asked.

“Mm,” Gothel shrugged. “I suppose you could come. We’ll teleport into Hector’s sanctum, disable the machine, and find Rapunzel.”

Eugene swallowed. “You...can really make me that powerful?”

“You think of yourself only as a Prince, but you’re the child of a great sorcerer,” Gothel said. “You have a more powerful connection to magic than you’ve ever realized.”

She reached out. “Let me show you.”

“You just wanna use Eugene’s power to escape!” Pascal cut in. 

“I want to destroy Hector,” Gothel corrected. “We must strike now. Hector cannot be allowed to open a portal. We’ll never have another opportunity. You know that.”

Eugene took a breath, and looked down at his hands.

After a moment, he clenched them into fists, and destroyed the force field.

Gothel smiled.

*** *** ***

“Hey, look at this!” Satyr Kyle said, opening a Fright Zone locker and taking out a jacket.

“You can’t take that.” Lance said, trying to grab it from her.

Kyle laughed, tossing it over to the lizard. “It doesn’t even fit you!” Lance lamented.

“What’s going on in here?” Cassandra asked, though her scowl seemed lighter.

“Ah, Cassandra!” Lance grinned. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

“I’ve had my hands full,” Cassandra shrugged. “Any minute, Hector’s gonna open a portal, and I’ll be the reason the Horde defeats the Royals. But hey,” She elbowed Lance. “I couldn’t have done any of it without you. Thanks.”

And it should have made Lance happy, but all he could think of was her blotchy face when she had declared they were going back to the Fright Zone.

*** *** ***

“Ah, what’s taking Hector so long?!” Varian said, practically dying from anticipation to pull the lever. 

“Varian…” Rapunzel called out, and sighed. “We...we never meant to leave you behind. We thought you were dead.”

Varian’s jaw clenched, and he pulled his goggles down. “Cassandra said you left me.”

“Cassandra would say anything to help her get what she wants!” Rapunzel said. 

“Cassie’s my friend!” Varian argued, and then paused. “I think. She just doesn’t like me sometimes.”

“Look, I understand,” Rapunzel said. “Cass was my friend too. But she makes bad decisions. And this is one of them! The Horde’s armies will come through, and then it's all over for Etheria. You can’t open a portal!”

“Oh, so we’re back to telling me what I can and can’t do,” Varian said bitterly. “You’ll be the first to see me open this portal, Princess.”

“It’s too dangerous!” Rapunzel protested. 

“All exploration has an element of danger,” Varian shrugged. “But think of what we could find! Whole worlds, galaxies, things we can’t even imagine!”

“Varian, please!” Rapunzel begged. “It isn’t going to work. The last Sundrop made it so we would never open another portal. Trying could destroy everything.”

“I have noticed some anomalies in the portal trials…” Varian mused. “They could potentially pose a problem. Maybe I should run more tests.”

Varian jumped up. “Stay here. Don’t try to escape or anything.”

*** *** ***

The Moonstone glowed brightly in the dusk, and Eugene tried to ignore the feeling that he was making a huge mistake. Gothel paused in her magic tracing, looking up when vines spread onto the platform, hoisting up Fidella, Stalyan, and the twins. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Stalyan asked, crossing her arms. 

“Don’t try to stop us,” Eugene said, summoning his staff. “This is the only way to save Rapunzel.”

“We’re not trying to stop you!” Fidella smiled. “We’re coming with you.”

“And if you try the whole ‘don’t come with us, it’s risky’ thing, I’m gonna deck you.” Stalyan said. 

“A larger group would be a disadvantage,” Gothel said. “I wouldn’t be able to-”

“We didn’t ask!” Kiera said fiercely. “Make your magic circle bigger, old lady!”

*** *** ***

Angella took a breath, standing outside Eugene’s room. It had been a while since they had a fight like this, and the ugly feeling of being distant was back. “Eugene?” She asked quietly. “Eugene, please, I want to-”

She pushed the door lightly, and it swung open to reveal the room in disarray. 

No Eugene.

The hurt feeling quickly turned to cold terror.

*** *** ***

“Quickly now.” Gothel said, standing in the spell circle.

Eugene took a breath, and stepped forward. No turning back now.

*** *** ***

Gothel’s room was empty, as Angella suspected. What she hadn’t suspected was the familiar sparkle within the ruined spell sand.

The cold fear hardened into panic, and she shoved the guards aside, queenly decorum forgotten as she soared down the halls at breakneck speed, her wings clipping the walls.

*** *** ***

Gothel expertly traced the spell circle, the edges of it dark and ominous. She reached out her hand to Eugene, waiting for him to complete it. 

He took one final breath, vowing that he would get Rapunzel out of there, and took the witch’s hand.

Dark magic immediately swirled around them, and Eugene gritted his teeth, feeling the power threatening to consume him. He heard someone shout, and turned back to see his mother, soaring towards him.

The last thing he saw before the magic swallowed him was her terrified face. 

*** *** ***

Eugene blinked when the darkness turned to metal walls, and his friends were still all in one piece. He grinned. “We...we did it! I did it! That was awesome!”

“Huh,” Pascal said. “Kinda figured Hector’s sanctum would be scarier. And not empty.”

“Yeah, of course, the Horde isn’t the greatest with decorating. Who could have guessed?” Stalyan said sarcastically. 

“We aimed for the sanctum, but obviously we missed,” Gothel frowned. “We’re not far. Come along, stay behind me. And try to be quiet.”

A door opened, and a lizard stared at them, mouth open. Pascal scowled. “You!”

“We have to go! Now!” Gothel waved frantically. 

“I’ll hold them off!” Fidella said, stepping forward. “Hurry! Save Rapunzel!”

The others followed Gothel through the halls, and Eugene skidded to a stop when he spotted Adira and Rogelio. He clenched his fists, bright balls of light appearing in them. 

Adira blinked at the crew, and promptly pulled a lever. An alarm began to blare loudly, flashing red light. “I got this,” Stalyan said, stepping forward, and the pipes began to rumble. “I didn’t almost die in these sewers for nothing.”

“Ooh, us too!” Kiera said, and she and Catalina turned the water Stalyan summoned to ice, raining down shards on the two. The marching of soldiers echoed down the hall. “We’ll keep them busy! Go!” Stalyan shouted. 

Eugene wanted to argue, but Gothel was already on the move, and he and Pascal needed her. “Adira, why did you-” Cassandra rounded the corner, all color draining from her face when she saw Gothel. “You.”

“Eugene.” Gothel said quietly, grabbing his hand. Eugene winced when he felt magic prickling across his skin, almost like needles, reminding him unpleasantly of Gothel’s red force field. 

Cassandra laughed, but it looked desperate. “I heard you were with the enemy, but now you’re actually holding hands with a prince right now?”

“There’s no sense in trying to fight us,” Gothel said calmly. “You won’t stand a chance. Join us, or stand aside.”

Cassandra chuckled, and charged, drawing her dagger. Pascal leapt forward, firing arrow after arrow, but Cassandra dodged each one, leaping into the air to bring the dagger down on Pascal. He held up his bow just in time to block, but the strike sent him reeling backwards.

“Pascal!” Eugene cried, turning to him, but Gothel yanked him back.

“Don’t lose focus!” She snapped. “Concentrate!”

Eugene closed his eyes, focusing on the magic, willing it to himself. He blinked in and out of existence, sending Cassandra in circles in her attempts to attack them. Cassandra grabbed his arm, predicting his pattern, raising her dagger with a fevered look in her eyes. Eugene yelped-

Gothel reached out, grabbing Cassandra’s arm. Red lines shot up her arm like lightning, and Cassandra _screamed_ , stumbling back and collapsing to the ground in convulsions and badly swallowed shrieks of pain.

“Cassandra,” Gothel chided. “There’s no need for us to be enemies. I can help you. I can offer you a way out.”

“So what?” Cassandra managed to look up, shaking badly. “You’re on the side of good now? You made me this way, and now you get to be the good guy?!” 

She tried to rise, but shrieked again when Gothel raised her hand, lifting Cassandra off the ground with magic. “Do you know what happened to me after you escaped?!” Cassandra demanded, her voice pitched and panicked. “Do you even care?! You couldn’t wait to get away from here, away from _me_!”

“B-but you…” Cassandra’s voice was odd, almost...and Eugene realized with a start she was fighting tears. “You came back for Raps.”

“I came back to stop Hector,” Gothel said, utterly unmoved. “Not everything is about you.”

Cassandra blinked, tears gone from shock, and her face darkened into something that sent chills down Eugene’s spine. “I’m going to make sure we win. We’re going to open that portal, and there will be nothing left of you or the Royals.”

“Hm.” Gothel said, and clenched her fist.

Cassandra started a scream, and then bit down on it, too proud to let Gothel know she was winning. Eugene gasped, feeling the magic pull towards Gothel, taking some of his own with it. Gothel either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“Stop! You’re taking too much!” Pascal said, grabbing Gothel’s shoulder. 

Gothel frowned, but released her hold on Eugene. Cassandra dropped to the ground, looking up at Gothel with horror before reaching for her electric baton. “No!” The satyr woman from the waste burst out from around the corner, grabbing Cassandra. “You can’t, they’re too strong!”

And in spite everything, Eugene couldn’t help but feel pity for Cassandra.

*** *** ***

“Thanks for letting me assist you, I really miss hanging out,” Lance said, watching Varian rifle through his items. “Yeah, you’ve been so busy with Hector lately, and Cassandra...I mean, she’s got her new friends…”

“Hm,” Varian said, frowning when his screen lit up with a bright red warning. “Oh, that’s no good.”

“Oh, you want me to go?” Lance sighed. “It’s fine, I’m probably in your way-”

“No, no, not you!” Varian said. “I’ve been running diagnostics on the portal. I’ve tested this eight ways to Sunday, and if my numbers are right-and they always are-if we open a portal, the anomalies will be catastrophic. It’ll unhinge time and space, creating a warped reality that will collapse in on itself, erasing us from existence!”

“So,” Lance coughed. “Not good!”

“Very not good!” Varian looked panicked. “I’d never thought I’d say this, but we can’t go through with it.”

The door opened, and Lance grinned. “Cassandra! Oh, good, I-” He stumbled when Cassandra pushed him aside roughly, not even bothering to look at him. 

“Why aren’t you in Hector’s lab?!” She snapped at Varian.

Varian flinched, and Cassandra shook her head. “Forget it, we need to fire up that machine!”

“We can’t!” Varian said. “Opening a portal right now would be disastrous. It’s going to collapse and take us all with it! Rapunzel was right.”

“Rapunzel is right?” Cassandra growled. Her face was hidden by shadows. “Rapunzel gets everything she wants.”

Cassandra took a deep breath, but it did nothing to calm her. “But not this time. This time, I am going to win. I don’t care what it takes, we are opening that portal. NOW!”

“N-no!” Varian darted around Cassandra, looking terrified of her. “I won’t! I gotta find Hector, he’ll understand-”

Cassandra lunged forward, shoving the electric baton into Varian’s shoulder. The boy shrieked, gargled and terrified, his expression one of utter shock and betrayal. Then his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he collapsed without a sound.

Lance gasped before he could stop himself, his hands over his mouth in shock. Even Cassandra looked surprised, staring at Varian with what almost looked like regret before she steeled herself. “G-get him out of here!” She yelled at Kyle.

Kyle jumped, looking startled. “W-what do you want me to do with him?!”

“I don’t care! Just get him out of here!” Cassandra said, looking wild. “Put...put him on the transport to Tarapati Island!”

“Tarapati?! Cass, you can’t-” Lance stepped forward, but Cassandra whirled around, baton pointed at him.

“DON’T CALL ME CASS!” She screamed, and then swallowed hard, panting. “You wanna be next?”

Lance stepped back, hating himself for it. 

He watched as his last friend was dragged to his exile.

*** *** ***

“Oh…” Hector smiled, watching the flower glow with power. “He did it.”

Rapunzel thrashed, the ropes nearly loose. She just needed another minute...

“The Royals are here!” Cassandra burst in, disheveled and wild. “There’s no time, you have to open the portal, now!”

“Where’s Varian? I need him.” Hector said.

Rapunzel saw Cassandra’s face go even whiter, and then a cruel smile crossed her face. “Who do you think let the Royals in?”

Hector stiffened, looking shocked. “He…” He gritted his teeth. “He wouldn’t.”

Cassandra laughed, though there was only pain in it. “Did you really think he was on our side? Oh, you can’t trust anyone. Especially…” Cassandra looked back, and Rapunzel felt her stomach turn at the light in Cassandra’s eyes. “Especially one of them. They’ll just use you to get what they want. So open the portal, and let’s end this.”

“This way!” Someone shouted, and Rapunzel managed to move the gag away from her mouth. 

“Pascal!” She shouted.

“Forget about them!” Cassandra shrieked. “Pull the switch!”

Hector ignored her, charging Pascal, Eugene, and-

“Gothel?!” Rapunzel said.

“She just couldn’t stay away,” Cassandra said. “All for you. It’s always all for you, isn’t it?” Cassandra looked at the lever, the flower spitting lighting and vibrating audibly with energy. 

“Please, don’t do this!” Rapunzel said, pulling desperately as Cassandra reached for the lever. “Cass!”

Cassandra looked her dead in the eye, and smiled.

She reached out, and yanked the lever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> noooo cass dont lose ur mind ur so sexy

**Author's Note:**

> come be gay with me on tumblr!  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/toadintheroad


End file.
